Chase the Morning
by theletterdee
Summary: Suddenly transported to Middle Earth, Doctors Elizabeth Weir and Kathryn Lattimer have to find their way through this strange land all while getting caught up in the War of the Ring and ridding Middle Earth of a great evil. Part One of the "Happened by Chance" series
1. Chapter 1

Doctor Kathryn Lattimer of the Atlantis Expedition hummed idly to herself as she tilted her head from side to side, looking back and forth between her notes, a copy of Daniel's Ancient translations, and another book they found in the depths of the city archives as she attempted to translate a section of the Ancient artifact brought back by one of Atlantis' reconnaissance teams. She sighed and sat back in her chair, mindlessly twirling her pencil in her hand as she stared at the ceiling. Two years… it had been two years since they found this city and its wonders. Of course it had also been two years since they had woken an enemy that seemed more dangerous than the Goa'uld, dangerous enough to almost wipe out the Ancients, and two years since they had been in contact with Earth.

Today her hackles were constantly raised and it had been bugging Kat since she woke this morning. Something was going to happen, she didn't know what, or when, but something was going to happen. Even after having magic her entire life, as well as learning two different styles of it, Kat still did not understand her powers. They were constantly evolving and while she reveled in the fact of potentially learning something new, it irked her that she was a grown adult and her powers were still going through puberty.

Kat sighed again and threw down her pencil. She wasn't going to get any work done until she calmed down. One may think it easy to find a calming place in the city of Atlantis, but for Kat it was harder. She loved water, but not the ocean and certainly not all the sea spray from the waves crashing into Atlantis' piers, and she loved high places. The control room was the highest place in the city and a slow smile spread across Kat's face. To the gate room it was.

* * *

Elizabeth looked down from her office to see Atlantis' resident linguist and most experienced member of their expedition in the wide area that housed their stargate, looking around as though it might be the last time she saw the city. Her curiosity peaked, Dr. Elizabeth Weir passed through the control room and down the stairs to stand by Dr. Kathryn, better known as "Kat", Lattimer. "Kat?"

"Yeah, Liz?" Kat responded, her voice had a distinctly well-bred British accent, suggesting she was from the island kingdom.

"Everything alright?"

"Everything's fine," the lighter brunette shrugged, her sapphire blue eyes meeting Elizabeth's green. "Why do you ask?"

"You're looking around Atlantis as though you're never going to see it again."

Kat gnawed on her lower lip, "I had… a feeling," she replied quietly, staring at the stargate. It was truly magnificent looking, a dark almost steel grey ring with blue-green chevrons and white jewels on the inner ring that lit up in the constellations that formed a gate address when dialed, unlike the gates in their home galaxy that had the inner ring with constellations spinning to dial an address. It had a backdrop of the almost stained glasslike geometric architecture of Atlantis, something all of them had come to love and see as home in the past two years without contact to Earth.

"What kind of feeling?"

"Hard to explain."

Elizabeth had read a large file on Kat back when they were on Earth and Elizabeth was supposed to head Stargate Command. It was impressive. Born in 1970, adopted by Robert Lattimer. Kat went to school and became a doctor in anthropology, linguistics, and symbology. She went on a dig with an archaeologist friend in 1993 and vanished without a trace. Four years later, during the first year of SGC, the legendary SG-1 found her on another planet, in a kingdom called "Tortall". She returned to Earth and joined SG-1, aiding them with both her knowledge and her magic.

Everyone in the SGC and on the Atlantis Expedition knew of Kat's magic, she was constantly being pestered by the science department to do tests for them. Even though Elizabeth tried to stop them from doing so, Kat gladly gave in to their requests, saying that knowledge is a wonderful thing to gain and that they weren't human if they didn't try to explain everything.

If Kat had a feeling, it could either be entirely too good (like the one she had shortly before they found the Athosians) or catastrophically bad. "What kind of feeling, Kat?"

"A… dark feeling. I had to get away from my work and the gate room calms me… it's what I know."

Kat had been traveling through the gate since 1997, so that made sense. Elizabeth put a hand on Kat's shoulder, "Is it a strong feeling? Should we cancel our trip tomorrow?"

"Not that bad of a feeling," Kat smiled. "I've been wanting to show you this planet for a while."

"Good, I'm looking forward to it," Elizabeth smiled back.

* * *

Major John Sheppard scanned the area around the other stargate with a wary eye. His P90 was up and ready to fire if needed. Luckily, it didn't seem the case today so he relaxed marginally when the rest of his team (Ronon, Teyla, and Rodney) cleared the area. John clicked his shoulder radio, "Atlantis, this is Major Sheppard, Doctors Lattimer and Weir are cleared to come through. Say again, Lattimer and Weir are cleared. Over."

"_Copy that, Major. They're coming through right now._"

John waited by the DHD for the two doctors to come through. Minutes passed and he started to get worried.

"Should they have not come through the gate by now?" Teyla Emmagen asked as she stood by John's side.

"Yeah… Atlantis, Major Sheppard, Lattimer and Weir have left, correct?"

"_Correct, Major Sheppard… are they not with you?_"

"Negative."

"_The gate must be taking longer than usual_," Peter Grodin's voice squawked through the radio just as the two doctors stepped out of the event horizon.

"The doctors have arrived, Peter, no need to raise the alarm after all."

"_Oh good. Good luck, AR-1_."

"Thanks, Pete. Doctors!" John called out in greeting. Both of them smiled and waved before a bright, white light surrounded the pair and when it cleared the two civilian leaders of Atlantis were nowhere in sight. "Damn it!"


	2. Chapter 2

Kat groaned once she woke up. She could feel warm sunlight on her face, but judging by the lack of voices around her, she was either alone or the rest of AR-1 was unconscious. She sat up gingerly, her head spinning as she did so. With a sigh, she buried her face in her hands, taking deep breaths to calm herself and her body.

This place didn't feel like the planet she had traveled to with her team and Elizabeth. It felt older, wiser, and, if she could believe it, stronger in magic than any other planet they had been to in the Pegasus Galaxy. The blood in her veins was almost singing there was so much magic in the air, the earth, and likely the water. Kat took a deep breath and reached out with her magic, as Alanna had taught her years ago, trying to find the rest of her team on their tethers she'd placed on them when they first started exploring the Pegasus Galaxy. It had been a safety precaution at first, not knowing exactly what they'd find out on different planets besides the Wraith, but even then they knew nothing of their new dangerous, life-sucking foes. Kat still used it as a way to keep track of where they were planet side. Unfortunately, for her, she found out the hard way that it didn't carry across planetary boundaries years ago. Right now, she couldn't feel anyone save for Elizabeth and even that was very faint… which meant a great distance separated the two of them and that it was only the two of them out of their entire team on this planet.

Gingerly, she opened her eyes to see a forest around her. The green of the forest was overly saturated, almost making her head start hurting at the sight of it. Kat breathed in the moist, earthy scent and it calmed her. Kat pushed herself up onto her knees and searched for wherever her things had gone. Her pack was next to a tree (how it ever could have gotten unclipped from her vest, she had no idea) and her P90 was nowhere to be found, same with her side arm. "By the Mother… you have got to be kidding me."

She gnawed on her lower lip, weighing what sort of trouble she could get into and survive without a weapon of some sorts. A weapon… Kat's face lit up when she remembered her knife in her boot, the one that Jack had given her when she first joined SG-1. "Aha! I knew I could trust in you, old friend."

Clipping her pack back onto her vest and keeping her knife in one hand, Kat picked a direction and started walking. To be more precise, she picked the direction the tether to Elizabeth was in. She figured the sooner she started searching for her friend, and more importantly superior, the sooner one of them would find the other.

She paused next to a babbling brook a few hours later, the water so clear she could see straight through to the sandy bottom. Shrugging off her vest, Kat knelt by the stream and cooled down her skin with a bit of water before drinking a few mouthfuls. She was rubbing the back of her neck when her reflection caught her eye. Frowning, Kat turned to her pack and dug in one of the outside pockets, pulling out a small mirror that she enlarged before turning the reflective surface to face her.

She nearly dropped the mirror in shock. Instead of the familiar image of her thirty-six year old self staring back at her, Kat thought she was looking at an old picture of herself as a teenager, "What the hell?" She couldn't be a teenager again, it was impossible, and yet... here she was, aged sixteen with the mind of an adult woman and all of her scars she had gotten over the years. "What the hell!"

There had to be an explanation for this, there had to be or at least Kat hoped there was because she wasn't finding one at the moment. Breathing deeply, she calmed herself down, shrunk the mirror, and put her vest back on, deciding to continue with her original plan of finding Elizabeth as soon as possible. Kat walked until the sun started to set. Nodding to herself, she found a likely campsite and put down her pack. She gathered firewood, just enough to stay warm before she drew a circle of protection around the site. The circle glowed sky blue and when she threw up her hands, a bubble of the same shade flared around her before disappearing from view. It was still there, Kat could feel it and she was confident it was strong and would hold for as long as she wished.

The next few days passed the same way, Kat trudging through the thick woods, alone save for the sounds of the wilderness, and camping by large trees at night. She wondered what kind of place this was, whether or not it was inhabited by anyone and when she would actually meet someone. She only started to get worried when her rations started to run low. It wasn't like she had packed for an incredibly long trip back on Atlantis. They were only supposed to spend a few days on the planet and then return back to home base. By her calculations, it had been almost five days since she appeared here and seeing as she recognized very few of the vegetation around her, running out of food wasn't going to be a good thing to have happen.

It was a rather hot day the next morning, and she was resting against a fallen tree, wiping away the sweat from her brow when she heard the faint snap of a twig breaking behind her. Kat acted as though she hadn't heard it and continued as she had been. Her right hand slowly drifted down to grasp the hilt of her knife tightly, her left palm itching as she summoned her magic to the surface.

"I would not do that, if I were you," the man's voice behind her carried a quiet confidence, fitting with his quiet way of moving.

"Do what?"

"Whatever you are planning to do."

"Well then, don't sneak up on me."

He chuckled and moved around to her left. His dark brown hair lightly brushed the tops of his shoulders and his grey eyes were keen. The man looked distinctly rugged, he had experience living on the road, but what perked her curiosity was the fact that his clothes were similar to those worn by men in the Kingdom of Tortall. Kat had worn clothes like them, breeches, a shirt, tunics, over coats, the whole lot, but mostly for training. She could see the long blade at his waist, along with his own knife. He held a bow in his hands, an arrow waiting to be drawn back at a moment's notice. This man was not one to be trifled with lightly. "You are not from around here."

"That obvious, hm? Let me guess… it was the clothes," she gestured to her standard grey and red uniform, her favorite blue shirt on underneath the jacket, the black vest she had unzipped, and black combat boots.

"I will admit, your clothes do strike me as very… odd," the man nodded. "It is more so the fact that you are traveling alone."

"Does one not do that here… wherever here is?"

"Only experienced people and... well, you are young."

Kat nodded, "Aha, I see."

"Who are you?"

"I could ask you the same question."

At that, he smiled, "You have much spirit for meeting a stranger."

"I've learned to deal with people." Kat eyed him for a bit and then held out her hand, "Kathryn Lattimer… I go by Kat."

Aragorn put his hand in hers and was surprised when she shook it, "Aragorn, son of Arathorn… I go by a large amount of names, but that is my true name, Lady Kathryn."

"Please," she held up a hand, "just Kat."

He smiled, evidently amused by her, "Kat it is. I can take you to a safe place, perhaps you can tell me your story along the way."

"Tell me what this world is first and then we'll see."

* * *

"Welcome to Rivendell, Kat," Aragorn grinned at the amazed look on the teenager's face. He could barely believe that she had survived in the wilds before he found her. She was scarcely sixteen years of age and yet her eyes betrayed the fact that she was older than she seemed. According to her, Kat was thirty-six, having just celebrated her birthday last month on the thirtieth of June.

"It's gorgeous, Aragorn," Kat practically gushed as she reveled in the architecture of the elven city. It rivaled that of Atlantis, with sweeping arches and intricate carvings blending with the surrounding nature and the overall radiating feel of calm that permeated the city much like the fog in the early mornings. "This is where you live?"

"I live many places, but this is where I was raised for many years."

"With these... elves? Is that what you called them?"

He nodded, "They are among the oldest and wisest peoples of Middle Earth."

"All of this sounds like some sort of fairytale. I can barely wrap my head around it and I've seen many things in my life."

"I would love to hear your stories, Kat, but there is someone you need to meet."

"Lead the way."

Aragorn led Kat through the open hallways, she could hear faint music in the distance along with sounds of nature and the numerous waterfalls that surrounded Rivendell in the valley. They passed a few amount of people along the way, the elves nodded their heads politely in greeting, Aragorn returning it, and more than a few curious looks were cast her way. She assumed it was the clothes, seeing as they were definitely out of place in this world.

The ranger looked back at Kat and urged her ahead of him into a study. It was two stories high, with vaulted ceilings and most of the walls lined with numerous books and scrolls. Sitting at a desk on a dais was a dark-haired elf, evidently buried in the books surrounding him. His hair was intricately woven around a braided circlet of silver and pointed ears stuck out from the dark strands, "Yes, what is it?" he asked without even looking up to see who had disturbed him.

"What, has he got super hearing?" Kat whispered to Aragorn even as he steered her closer to the elf by her shoulders.

"Yes, I do," the elf responded, finally looking up, his mouth quirking upward slightly at the shocked expression on Kat's face. "Ah, Aragorn, I see we have a guest."

"Lord Elrond," Aragorn inclined his head. "This is Kathryn Lattimer, or as she prefers to be called, Kat."

The Lord of Rivendell stood from his desk and walked over to them, his finely made robes whispering against the floor as he visually inspected Kat, "You are quite young to be out on the road by yourself, Kathryn."

She made a face at the use of her full name and Aragorn hid his amused smile while she spoke, "I only look young, Lord Elrond. I can't explain it, but I'm thirty-six, I only look sixteen."

"What were you doing out in the wilds on your own?"

"Trying to find..." Kat paused to think of the right word to describe Elizabeth other than 'my superior officer of two years'. "I was trying to find my... sister, Elizabeth. We were traveling together and got separated, I hope she hasn't come to any harm."

"How exactly are you searching for your sister?" the elf asked, Aragorn listening intently, he had been wondering the same thing.

"I have magic. When we first started traveling, I put a... tether on Elizabeth. Only I can feel it as it's connect directly to my magic here," she tapped herself on her chest to emphasize. "It gave me a direction to follow and I started walking," Kat shrugged. "She's nowhere near here and I can't tell you where because I don't even know this world at all."

Lord Elrond frowned, "Where are you from, Kathryn?"

"The City of Atlantis... on Lantea?"

"I have never heard of such a place," the elf looked to Aragorn. The ranger shook his head, he had never heard of Atlantis either.

Kat worried her bottom lip between her teeth, "Have you heard of a device known as a stargate?" At their confused looks she tried other words for it, "_Chappa'ai_? Ring of the Ancestors?"

"It does not sound familiar."

The bottom dropped out of Kat's stomach. She was on a planet with no known stargate, meaning no way to return to Atlantis when she found Elizabeth, and no way of contacting them. Her mind reeled and her body swayed, Aragorn steadied her, "You should sit down, Kat, you're very pale."

"Might be a good idea," she nodded. Aragorn led her over to a chair and she sat, putting her head in her hands as she tried to comprehend the fact that she was now stuck in this unknown world for an indefinite amount of time. She could very well die here and never see her friends or Atlantis again. "I'm sorry, this is... this is a lot to take in."

"I understand, Kathryn," Elrond nodded. "Take as long as you need."

Kat took a couple of deep breaths before she sighed, "I... I originally come from a planet known as Earth. My people, the Tau'ri, are human and for many years we were enslaved by beings we came to know as the Goa'uld. They preyed on my ancestors and made themselves out to be gods. They were like gods with their advanced technology and power. My people eventually overthrew the Goa'uld and buried the device known as a stargate to prevent the false gods from ever returning to Earth."

"What exactly is this stargate you speak of?"

Kat pulled out a leather journal from inside her black vest and flipped through the numerous pages filled with drawings, writing, and photos before stopping on a page that had photos of both the Milky Way orange chevron stargate and the blue-green chevron stargate of the Pegasus Galaxy, "It's a circle that has constellations of the galaxy around the rim. It connects to other stargates on other planets when dialed with the correct address. The two linked stargates form a bridge between the planets, allowing for instantaneous travel. The wormhole, as we call it, bends time and space while breaking down one's body to travel billions of miles in seconds. It sounds impossible, I know," she smiled as she showed them. "I found it hard to believe myself when I found out about them a decade ago. About two years ago, my sister and I joined an expedition to find the lost city of Atlantis, the city of our ancestors. It was a one way trip as Atlantis is in a separate galaxy from Earth and to travel between the two, we need tremendous amounts of power."

"And Atlantis does not have this?"

Kat shook her head, "The city had been abandoned many years before when our ancestors faced a terrible foe known to the inhabitants of the Pegasus Galaxy as the Wraith."

"Wraith?" Elrond was intrigued. "Tell me more of these Wraith."

"They're fearsome, very hard to defeat in large numbers. The Wraith feed on human beings, they literally suck the life out through an opening on their hand. A person can be drained of life within minutes. The Wraith can heal themselves too, regenerating skin and muscle quickly as though the wound never happened. Our ancestors were overrun by them and we are too. We've been fighting them for two years, mostly through subterfuge and guerilla warfare, striking hard and fast while trying to survive and search for any clues our ancestors, the Ancients, left behind."

"Besides her being your sister, why does Elizabeth need to be found?"

"She is the leader of Atlantis. I'm third in command, Major John Sheppard is head of the military and second in command of the expedition. Elizabeth and I were traveling to another planet, we stepped out of the stargate and all I remember is waving at John before a bright white light and then I woke up north of here."

Elrond nodded, "And you know nothing of Middle Earth?"

Kat shook her head, "I'm guessing that's what this world is?"

"One of the many land masses of our world, yes," the elf nodded again, "Since you are unaware of this world and you appear to be of a young age, I cannot let you leave here alone, you shall be my ward and stay here in Rivendell, Kathryn."

Kat realized that staying in Rivendell would be a wise decision, seeing as she could learn more about Middle Earth instead of stumbling around blindly. "I thank you, Lord Elrond, that is very generous of you."

He smiled, "You are most welcome, Lady Kathryn. Aragorn will show you to the rooms you will have during your stay here in Imladris."


	3. Chapter 3

Kat trudged alongside Aragorn, suddenly very tired from all their walking and explaining herself to Elrond. The sun was setting, painting the valley in fiery hues and turning the waterfalls golden in the dying light. Aragorn watched her out of the corner of his eye, "Are you alright, Kat?"

"I'm tired," she admitted quietly.

"You have had an exhausting day," he guided her down another hallway and towards an intricately carved wooden door. He paused at the sight of an elf maiden waiting for them, "Lady Arwen."

The elf maiden smiled serenely, "Father told me of our visitor and I came to assist in any way I could."

"I could really use a bath, a hot one," Kat suggested much to the amusement of both Aragorn and Arwen.

"We will have one drawn up for you, Lady Kathryn, and I can provide you with... more suitable clothes."

"If they are anything like yours, I will be honored to wear such beautiful clothes, my lady."

Arwen grinned, "You are most kind, Lady Kathryn."

"Please, call me Kat."

"Arwen, then," She opened the door and gestured for Kat to enter before her, which the teenager did, "I can care for her from here, Aragorn, no need to hover like a hen."

"I'm not..." the ranger sighed and frowned at the amusement on Arwen's face and the muffled giggles of Kat. "I see that I am not needed, I shall arrange for a bath to be brought here for Kat. Shall I accompany both of you in the morning to breakfast?"

"That would be lovely, Aragorn, thank you," Arwen smiled at him once more and Aragorn bowed slightly before leaving the two women alone. The dark haired elf maiden closed the door and turned to Kat. "Now that we finally have some peace..."

Kat chuckled, "Thank goodness." She shrugged out of her vest and let it and her pack fall to the floor with a thump. She sighed and sat down on the bench at the foot of the bed, "Rivendell truly is beautiful, Arwen."

Arwen smiled and gracefully lowered herself to sit next to Kat, "Thank you, Kat. It has been my home for many years. My father, Lord Elrond, has ruled over it my entire life, I hope you will eventually see it as a home for yourself."

"It might take me awhile, but I can see that happening," Kat smiled. "I just wish Elizabeth, my sister, was here."

"You do not know where she is?"

Kat shook her head, "I don't, I hope she has found a safe place to stay like I have."

Arwen smoothed a curl that had gotten loose from Kat's ponytail away from the girl's face, "I'm sure she has, Kat." A knock on the door caused both of them to look up, "That should be your bath. I can take your clothes to wash them as well as give you new ones to wear here in Imladris."

"Thank you, Arwen."

"It is my pleasure."

* * *

Someone knocking on her door about mid-afternoon startled Kat out of her light dozing and intermittent gazing out at the valley that was likely to become her home for years to come, "It's open," she called out.

"Kat?" It was Aragorn and she inwardly sighed. After her first day in Rivendell, Kat holed herself up in her room for the rest of the week, trying to adjust to the fact that she was here in Middle Earth and no known way of returning to Atlantis. It was her way of accepting changes in her life, she had been the same after appearing in Tortall, after returning to Earth, and after finding her birth mother. She shifted slightly and closed her eyes as Aragorn's worn boots thumped across the floor to her bed. The bed dipped under his weight as he sat on the edge, she felt his calloused hand smooth back her errant curls from her face and his thumb wiping away the mostly dried tear tracks on her cheeks, "How are you feeling?" He asked quietly.

"Better than a few days ago," she replied softly, opening her eyes but not looking at him.

"Want to talk about it?" Aragorn smiled at the shaking of her head, "Okay, we won't then. Would you like some food? You'll have to get out of bed though."

"Do I have to put on shoes?"

He chuckled, "No, you don't."

"Okay, I could go for some food then," she sat up in the bed and Aragorn stood, giving her a hand up from the bed so she could quickly change into a fresh dress rather than roam the halls of Rivendell in her wrinkled nightgown. Selecting a dress from the wardrobe kindly provided for her by Arwen, Kat shuffled behind the changing screen, "Aragorn?"

"Yes, Kat."

"Do you think I'll find a way home? That I'll find Elizabeth?"

"I do."

"You're not just saying that to make me feel better?" she asked, red-rimmed blue eyes eyeing him closely as she peered around the changing screen.

"No, I am not, Kat, I promise."

She smiled her thanks, stepping out from behind the screen in a deep blue dress, her brown curls in a tangled mass around her shoulders. Kat ran a brush through her hair, wincing whenever she hit a knot, soon she had smoothed out her nest of hair and turned to Aragorn, "You said something about food?"

Aragorn chuckled and gently guided Kat out of her room by her shoulders.

* * *

Arwen grinned as she listened to Kat stumble slightly through the elvish phrase the elf maiden had been teaching her for the last hour. Slender fingers brushed through Kat's chocolate curls, neatly braiding and weaving the girl's hair into an intricate style around the circlet Elrond had given Kat a couple months into her stay. "Again, Kat, you almost had it." The girl obediently repeated the phrase, this time getting it perfectly, she was a fast learner having picked up elvish faster than Aragorn had years ago. "Perfect," Arwen smiled, referring to both the pronunciation and Kat's hair.

"Thank you, Arwen!" Kat practically squealed when she saw her hair and Arwen soon had her arms full of an energetic teenager.

Arwen chuckled, "How about we go show Aragorn your look and impress him with how far you have progressed in learning elvish?"

"Sounds like fun!"

* * *

"Where are you taking me, Aragorn?" Kat asked the ranger as he led her through Rivendell by the hand.

"You mentioned that you liked to go to high places to relax," he replied. "I'm taking you to the tallest point of Rivendell where you can see the entire valley."

"Oh, okay," she mutely followed Aragorn up numerous flights of stairs, followed by more stairs and even more when she looked up, "By the Mother, do all elves like stairs?"

Aragorn chuckled and steadied Kat when she slipped, "You should see Lothlorien then."

She shook her head, "Of all the things... stairs."

"Up you get," the ranger teased her with a phrase he'd picked up from Kat, "I would like to get up there sometime soon."

"For a man who has lived for more than seventy years, you are very impatient."

"For a woman who says she's really in her thirties, you certainly act like a teenager," he shot back.

"I am embracing my second chance at youth!"

"If that is what you wish to call it."

"I do, if you must know," Kat replied haughtily, her nose turned up and she refused to look at him. After a moment, she cracked open one of her eyes and her face broke into a grin. "Think I can pass as a Mirkwood elf?"

"Kat..."

"It's an honest question!"

Aragorn shook his head and gestured to the large gazebo like structure that they had finally reached, "Go take a look, Kat."

Kat did as she was told, padding through the gazebo to a platform that overlooked the entire valley. Gingerly, she stepped up to the platform and walked out to the edge, a gasp escaping from her throat before she could stop it. The sun was starting to set over the valley, painting it with hues of orange and yellow, the waterfalls of Imladris were shimmering gold and the trees seemed to be on fire as the dying sunlight hit the fall leaves. She lowered herself to the ground, sitting on the edge of the platform with her legs hanging over and the skirts of her dress dancing in the breeze, "It's gorgeous."

Aragorn grinned as he joined her on the ledge, "I thought you would like it."

"It reminds me of Atlantis and of Earth," she said quietly after a few moments of silence between them. Kat breathed deeply, her eyes closed as she listened to the sound of water trickling behind them and of the waterfalls roaring in the distance.

"Is Atlantis in a valley like this?"

"No, it's a floating city on water. There is a mainland nearby, but Atlantis' home is the vast oceans of Lantea."

"Is that where you got your necklace?" Aragorn gestured to the small gold and silver disks that hung from a thin golden chain around Kat's neck.

She shook her head, "My mother gave me this after we found each other."

"It is beautiful."

Kat smiled a bit sadly, "Thank you... I'm glad that I have a reminder of her."

"Where is your mother?"

"On Earth, I probably won't see her again. I miss her."

"My mother died many years ago and I still miss her, Kat," Aragorn wrapped an arm around Kat's shoulders and she leaned into his side for comfort. "Maybe one day you'll see your mother again."

"I hope so."


	4. Chapter 4

Kat learned elvish quickly, it helped that she had plenty of opportunities to practice speaking it as well as learning how to write it and read it. After he had seen her magical potential, Elrond decided to further her healing abilities in elvish magic. While she had been taught some healing by Alanna in Tortall, her learning had been cut short by the arrival of SG-1 and after that, she had been too busy to go back and visit her teacher. Lord Elrond was a patient teacher, something with being immortal she guessed, he reminded her of her mother in that aspect, answering all of her questions and directing her toward books she could read if he was busy.

She loved Elrond's library, it was one of the spots around Rivendell that she could be found in if someone was looking for her. Usually she was immersed in a thick, dusty tome of some ancient language that Elrond was teaching her after some minute begging on Kat's part. She learned a lot during her first winter at Rivendell. Along with Elrond teaching her healing and the history of Middle Earth, Arwen refined her ability to sew and elven courtesies as well as learning and applying the language, Gandalf, after Kat quite literally ran into him on their first meeting, helped her with other magic that Elrond could not teach her, and Aragorn filled in the rest of the gaps. He told her stories of his travels, telling her about the various peoples of Middle Earth, as well as refining her ranger abilities and combat skills. He hadn't had anything to teach her about archery, but her sword fighting needed some work as well as tracking and moving quietly through any type of landscape.

Rivendell soon felt like home, after all she had been here longer than she had at Atlantis. Now twenty-one, five years had passed for Kat since she first appeared in Middle Earth, five years since she had seen any type of modern technology, five years since she had seen a stargate, and most importantly, five years since she had seen Elizabeth. Kat prayed to the Tortallan Great Mother Goddess, the patron deity of her teacher Alanna, as often as she could, hoping that she heard and answered. Kat had to keep hope that the two Lanteans would see each other again.

It was a mild autumn day in the month of September when Kat met a curious being known as a hobbit. She had her nose buried in a book as she meandered through the halls of Rivendell, expertly avoiding posts, columns, and people as she walked, including knowing exactly where all the steps were as well. Kat had just reached where she usually turned around to start her circuit anew when something the size of a small child ran into her stomach, "Oh!"

"Oh dearie me, I do apologize," a brisk voice from about her waist piped up. Kat looked down to see what appeared to be a child or a very small man smiling up at her. His pointed ears stuck out from curly hair and to her amusement, he had hairy bare feet. His clothes reminded her of the English farmers back on Earth, lots of tweed and waistcoats. "Bilbo Baggins, at your service."

Kat shook the proffered hand, "Kathryn Lattimer, but call me Kat if you would like. Not to be rude, but… what exactly are you?"

At that Bilbo chuckled, "Not rude at all, I'm a hobbit, or halfling as others call us. We live north of here in the Shire. Do you live here in Rivendell, Lady Kathryn?"

She laughed, "Just Kat or Kathryn, please. I came here about five years ago, but yes, I live here."

"Really, where were you before?"

"You wouldn't know it, I promise."

"I'd still like to hear about it, though."

Kat smiled and dove into stories of her travels throughout the years, Bilbo eagerly eating them all up.

* * *

The years passed as easily as pages in a book when one was frantically searching for something one swore was in there somewhere. Twenty years passed since Kat appeared in Middle Earth, long enough for her to be included in any secret gatherings about the state of the land, particularly the growing darkness of Mordor.

Kat was familiar with this darkness; it had been haunting her dreams of late, her magic finally under control to the point where she could feel strong disturbances in the earth. Most of her nightmares were muddied, confusing, and full of darkness, pain, and cold malice. She saw many strange faces, but she also saw Aragorn, Arwen, Gandalf, and Elizabeth. The grey wizard and Elrond tried to help her understand these dreams as much as they could, but it was Arwen who was there to comfort and sooth Kat when she awoke covered in sweat and absolutely terrified.

Gandalf was agitated on his return trip from Minas Tirith, the white city of the Kingdom of Gondor, in July of the year three thousand eighteen, the Third Age of Middle Earth. Kat trailed in behind Aragorn to where Elrond had called a meeting of them in his study and library.

The wizard was pacing when they entered.

"What troubles you, old friend?" Aragorn asked.

"What troubles me is an object that might change the entire future of the land, Aragorn. You are both aware of Bilbo's adventure?" At their affirmative answers, he continued, "What you may not know is that Bilbo found a most curious trinket while traveling… a ring, to be exact."

"Not… the Ring, Gandalf?" Kat connected the dots, as well as the alarmed look on Elrond's face. "Sauron's Ring?"

"I suspect it is the One Ring, but I will not be certain until I return to Frodo, Bilbo's nephew, in the Shire. I must go, but I wanted to inform you all of its resurface in the world."

"Go, Gandalf, we will coordinate a meeting of all the races to be ready by late October, that should give them all plenty of time to reach us."

Gandalf nodded, "Aragorn, I would like you to meet Frodo and I in Bree, seeing as Gollum was found and tortured by the enemy, it is very sure to say that Frodo will be in danger."

Aragorn simply nodded and left. Kat looked over at Elrond, he nodded, "You must stay here, Kathryn, we may need you should anything happen."

"Yes, Lord Elrond."

* * *

Kat dashed through Rivendell, hurriedly buckling her belt around her waist. Arwen had arrived with the injured Frodo just moments ago and Elrond had summoned her to aid him in the healing. The elder elf was just beginning his work when Kat burst into the room. She nodded to Gandalf, who was anxiously watching the two of them, and to Arwen, still in her riding attire. "What do you need?"

"Your herbs and your magic, Kathryn."

"Yes, sir," she dug into the small leather belt purse at her hip, her arm quickly disappearing into the depths of it as she searched around in the magically expanded bag. She found what she was looking for and handed them over to Elrond.

"Kathryn, we are going to have to get that shard out of the wound… can I trust you to do so?"

Kat whipped her head up from where she had been examining the wound on young Frodo's shoulder, "What?"

"We need to get the tip out there without harming him or anyone else, you are capable of doing so."

She gnawed on her lower lip, but nodded all the same, "Right." Nodding again, Kat straightened and held her hands above the hobbit's shoulder, palms down. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, reaching down inside herself to pull her magic up to the surface. As it usually did, it tingled throughout her entire body, making her nose itch in the process, and traveled from her torso down her arms to her hands. They glowed sky blue and when she opened her eyes, their normal dark sapphire shade matched the glow around her hands. Taking another deep breath, Kat focused in on Frodo's wound and went even deeper, trying to locate the darkness within.

She found it inching towards his heart and with a twitch of her fingers; she stopped it in its tracks and carefully started extracting it. Whatever was in this dark blade didn't want to be detoured from its course; she realized this when it fought against her magical grip. Sweat started to bead on her forehead and then dripped down her face and neck as she battled the knife tip fully out of Frodo's body. Elrond plucked the shard from mid air once it was free of the hobbit and Kat nearly collapsed in relief, but their work was far from over. She joined Elrond in siphoning as much of the poison as they could from Frodo, but the halfling would carry that scar for the rest of his life, as well as the side effects.

Elrond sent her back to her room to rest, seeing as it would be a few days yet that Frodo would wake and Elrond would keep watch over him. The elf squeezed her shoulder, "Outstanding work, Kathryn," he praised her quietly. She smiled tiredly in return.

* * *

Kat woke with a pounding headache. With a slight groan, she sat up in her bed and covered her face with her hands. "Wow, I really overdid it in the magic department yesterday."

She gingerly sidled over to the edge of her bed and swung her feet out to rest on the floor, the stone floor cool beneath her toes. The room spun and she took a few deep breaths until the world no longer tilted and the pounding in her head lessened somewhat. Somehow Kat managed to get dressed, knowing that a good meal and some fresh air would help with her headache and restore the energy she used yesterday. She kept to the shadows, her hands shielding her eyes as the fall sunlight shot a needlelike pain through them and lanced across her head.

"Alright there, Kat?" Aragorn softly asked, laying a hand on her arm apologetically when she jumped in surprise.

"I feel like I do whenever I drink too much." She couldn't even glare at him like she wanted to when he chuckled, "Not funny."

"Come, I will guide you to the hall where you may eat to your heart's content."

"You are a dear."

"And you have no shoes on."

"Be proud I actually physically got out of bed today, Aragorn."

At that he laughed and continued to guide her to the hall where she could sit down and eat. When they entered, they found three other hobbits eating at the end of one of the long tables. "It must be second breakfast time."

"What?" She stopped and looked at him through her fingers, incredibly confused.

"Hobbits love to eat," Aragorn smiled and explained. "Something I found out first hand bringing them here from Bree. Young Master Peregrin Took is particularly fond of food out of all of them."

"A hobbit after my own heart," she joked and brought her hands down from where they had been shielding her eyes. "Which one is Peregrin?"

"He goes by Pippin and he is the one with the scarf," Aragorn nodded to the shortest of the hobbits. "Meriadoc Brandybuck, Merry, is the one next to him and is also Pippin's cousin."

"With the dimpled chin?"

He nodded again, "And Samwise Gamgee, Sam, is the strawberry blonde. He is Frodo's gardener and particularly loyal to him. He has heart, much like you."

"I look forward to meeting them," Kat smiled, "but first, food."

"Anything for the Lady Kathryn."

"I told you to stop doing that. I'm no lady."

"You are a ward of Elrond, therefore, a lady. You have earned the title and it is one of respect."

"I get that, I do, but I prefer just plain Kat." Aragorn chuckled and led her over to the hobbits.

* * *

Kat sat back in her chair with a satisfied sigh having eaten her fill, content to watch the young hobbits in front of her regal tales of their journey here to Rivendell from the Shire. She had never been to the green rolling hills Sam described to her once she got him to open up about his home, she wished could see the beauty that Sam told her about. The strawberry blonde was passionate about where he was from and she could see in his hazel eyes that he had a love of growing things, of life, and it made her smile.

Sam was quieter than the other two hobbits. Merry and Pippin were obviously used to being the life of a party together, but Sam stayed to the sidelines it seemed, content on watching from the outside in. She could identify with that, having been reserved in her earlier years and while opening up later on in life, she still didn't always actively seek out social interactions, instead preferring to be alone, usually with her thoughts or a good book.

Sam's love, and pride and joy, was the garden at Bag End in Hobbiton. That was his escape and Kat had to grin at the excitement on his face when he told her of everything that was grown there. She dearly hoped he could get back to it soon enough. With Frodo on the mend and the Council meeting soon, maybe the hobbits could be spared being roped into dealing with the Ring and their decision on what to do with it.


	5. Chapter 5

Boromir wandered aimlessly through the moonlit halls of Rivendell after leaving behind the strange man and the shards of Narsil. His finger still stung from the cut, but Boromir pushed the pain to the back of his mind. He felt out of place here in the House of Elrond, but he was doing his duty to his father, Lord Denethor, the Steward of Gondor, and to his kingdom that was slowly crumbling into ruin and darkness with the ever-present shadow of Mordor upon them.

Sweet and slightly melancholic notes broke through his brooding and caused him to stop walking as he listened to the beautiful music. It was unlike anything he had heard before. Following the ever-changing melody through the halls, Boromir soon found the source of the music.

A woman was sitting in a backless chair, the light blue skirts of her dress situated around her legs, in what looked to be the open area of her bedroom. Her long curled hair was the color of a rare sweet called chocolate; it was pulled back away from her pale face by a single braid over her right shoulder. Nestled between her chin and left shoulder was a violin. The sweet tones that had enticed him through the House of Elrond were coming from the polished and brindled golden-brown device.

"Might I help you?" Her soft voice startled Boromir out of his staring. The woman's eyes, that had been closed while she played, were now open and her irises were a sapphire blue that shone in the moonlight. One of her eyebrows was raised in question and her lips were slightly quirked upwards in amusement.

"I apologize, my lady, I did not mean to disturb you," he blurted out after gaping at her for a while longer.

She put aside her instrument and gestured for him to come further into her room, "No need to apologize," she smiled when he ducked his head instead of coming closer.

"I feel that I need to."

"Shouldn't we at least introduce ourselves before you continue groveling?"

Her bluntness took him by surprise and he whipped his head up to see a wry smile on her face. Boromir tried to stop his own smile from spreading across his face, but the battle was soon lost and he chuckled lowly, "You are correct in that regard, my lady. I am Boromir of Gondor, Captain of the White Tower and representative of my kingdom."

She smiled and stood, her dress swaying around her feet as she shook out the fabric, "A pleasure to meet you, Boromir. I'm Kathryn Lattimer, but you may call me Kat if you so wish."

"I dare not, Lady Kathryn."

Kat sighed, "Then at least just Kathryn, if you insist."

"Alright… Kathryn," Boromir nodded, walked closer to Kat and extended his hand in greeting. "A pleasure to meet you, Kathryn."

She took him by surprise again by shaking his hand instead of insisting on him kissing her hand, as was the usual greeting between a man and woman, but they had met in a peculiar fashion and her grip was firm, hands calloused. This woman was not one to stand idly by when there was work to be done, "And now you can continue your groveling if you'd like."

Boromir caught the teasing sparkle in her eyes and another smile crossed his face, "I would, but I think you would rather I did not."

"Smart man," she grinned. "Why were you wandering the halls of Imladris, Boromir? Something troubling your mind?"

He did not feel like burdening Kat with his troubles so soon after meeting her, so he changed the subject not so subtly, "Your playing is beautiful, Kathryn."

"Thank you, it's a piece of home."

"You are not from Rivendell?" She seemed so at ease here in the valley, he assumed she was from the elven city.

Kat shook her head with slight amusement, "No, I am not. I'm human just like you, I've just been living here for the past twenty years as a ward and guest of Lord Elrond."

"How long have you been playing…?"

"The violin? Since I was ten. My adopted father set me up to have lessons with a teacher when I wanted to learn."

"Where is your family now?"

"Uncle Robert, my father, is back home, though I haven't seen him in many years. He treated me well, had me educated, and let me choose my own path in life. I started traveling, somehow ended up here in Middle Earth north of Rivendell, I was found and brought here and here I've stayed seeing as it would be a miracle for me to return home."

"I am sorry to hear that you are separated from your family, Kathryn."

"No need to apologize, Boromir, but I do appreciate the concern," Kat smiled. "I have dealt with my past many years ago. What of you?"

"What of me?"

"You look troubled."

Kat's bluntness caught him off guard again and one look into her eyes told Boromir that she wouldn't give up this line of questioning, "I am… worried."

"For your kingdom?"

"Yes," he nodded.

"I've never been to Gondor," Kat smiled. "I would like to see it one of these days."

"You might… It was once a mighty kingdom, it still is, especially the White City."

"Minas Tirith?"

"Yes," Boromir smiled fondly. "She is a wondrous city, white and proud, her multiple banners caught in the morning breeze… her people thrive even under the ever present shadow of Mordor."

"It sounds like the people of Gondor are a hardy people, built to survive whatever life throws at them."

"It is not enough though," he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "I left my people to come here as a duty to my father…"

"You worry for their safety."

"I do… I do not even know why I am here except on a fool's errand of my father," Boromir clenched his left hand into a frustrated fist and winced when he jarred his sliced finger.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine."

"No you're not," Kat frowned and snagged his left wrist with a quick hand. Her frown deepened when she saw the fresh blood flowing out of the newly reopened cut. "Sit."

"As my lady commands," a steely glare over Kat's shoulder muted any other comment from Boromir's mouth as he sat quite meekly down on the cushioned bench at the foot of her bed. He watched silently as she walked over to her vanity where a wooden box was sitting. She opened it and rummaged through whatever was in there.

"How did this happen?" Kat asked as she sat down next to him, a small patch of linen and a glass vial in one hand.

"I… picked up the hilt in the library," He winced when she swiped the linen across his cut after dousing it with whatever was in the vial, "Ouch, what's in that?"

"Something that'll help with infection. You picked up Narsil?" She shook her head almost disapprovingly.

"I did not think it would still be sharp."

"Of course it's still sharp, it's always been sharp!" He watched as she cleaned the small cut before gently running a slender finger over it. His skin began to tingle and itch slightly and he noticed a light blue glow around Kat's fingertip. He watched as the cut healed right before his very eyes until it disappeared with only the faintest trace of a scar.

"How did you do that?" Boromir asked, looking bewildered at the fresh scar on his finger.

"Magic," Kat shrugged nonchalantly, putting away the glass vial and vanishing all traces of his blood off the linen.

"You learned magic from the Elves?"

"No, I've always had magic. I learned how to heal better from Lord Elrond. Boromir," she paused until he looked up at her. Her blue eyes leveled a serious gaze at him, "I do not think you are here on a fool's errand. The meeting of the Council will decide what we should do. It could very well shape the fate of this land and world. Your voice will be heard, if the Council does not listen, then make them, tell them of your people, tell them of their hardships, it could affect the outcome of the Council's decision."

"You know about the Ring?"

"I do."

"I see…" He stood and bowed slightly, "It was truly an honor meeting you, Kathryn, but I must retire for the night. Thank you… thank you for listening."

She smiled, "It was an honor meeting you too, Boromir, I hope you'll sleep easier. My door is always open if you should want to talk."

"My lady," Boromir bowed again and left Kat's room, his mind lighter than before.

* * *

The next time Boromir saw Lady Kathryn was that very next day. She looked splendid in her simple and elegant dress. The dark green of the sleeveless overdress contrasted finely with her rosy skin, the shine of her red under dress peeking out from beneath the green. A dark silver belt highlighted her waist and he caught the flash of her bare shoulders, pale against the silk form-fitting sleeves of the red dress. Her hair was braided and twisted around the back of her head like a crown, a silver circlet that matched her belt was woven into her hair.

"My Lord Boromir," she graciously greeted him with a smile and a polite inclination of her head.

He inclined his head in respect, "My Lady Kathryn. How are you this morning?"

"I am well, you?"

"I finally got some rest last night after meeting you, so thank you."

Her smile widened into a friendly grin, "You are most welcome. If you're going to be attending the Council meeting, we should head over there soon."

"You are attending as well?" Kat merely quirked an eyebrow in response and Boromir immediately backpedaled. "I mean… I did not mean to offend-"

Kat grinned, "If I knew it was this easy to make you stumble over your words and feet, I would have started earlier in the conversation. This meeting affects all races and Middle Earth has become my home, so of course I'm going to attend even if I am a woman."

"I should have realized this, Kathryn, I apologize."

"Apology accepted."

Another man sharing Boromir's dark hair and grey eyes approached, "Kat, the meeting is almost beginning." Boromir recognized him as the man from last night in the library.

Kat nodded and allowed this man to escort her, tucking her hand into the crook of his elbow and Boromir followed behind them, the pair ahead of him conversing quietly in elvish as they walked. The man and Kat sat by each other while Boromir was a few chairs down from them.

"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old," Lord Elrond began, addressing them all sitting in a half circle around a stone pedestal. "You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle-Earth stands up on the brink of destruction, none can escape it. You will unite or you will fall, each race is bound to this fate, this one doom." He turned and gestured to the pedestal, "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo."

The small dark-haired hobbit rose from his seat beside Gandalf and gingerly placed a small gold ring on the flat surface. To Kat it looked no more than a simple wedding band, but she could feel the power radiating from it, this was no mere trinket. Whispering broke out amongst those gathered and Kat noticed Aragorn watching the others.

"So it is true," she heard Boromir murmur as Frodo returned to his seat. The man rose and addressed them. "In a dream, I saw the eastern sky grow dark. But in the West a pale light lingered. A voice was crying '_Your doom is near at hand_'" he approached the Ring, his hand outstretched, " '_Isildur's Bane is found_'… Isildur's Bane…"

Elrond leapt up, "Boromir!"

The hairs on the back of Kat's neck rose as the Ring uttered a harsh sounding chant. Gandalf stood and also began the chant in what Kat recognized as Black Speech (the wizard had taught her the language, but advised she never use it). The sky darkened and thunder rumbled over their heads.

"_Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, Ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul_."

The voice of the Ring died away and people resumed their seats, properly scared and rightfully so. A ring of such dark origins was not a child's toy to play or mess with.

Elrond whirled on Gandalf, "Never before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris!"

Gandalf wasn't abashed at all, "I do not ask for your pardon, Master Elrond, for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West! The ring is altogether evil!" He gave Boromir a scathing look and resumed his seat.

Boromir did not heed the warning, "It is a gift. A gift to the foes of Mordor, why not use this ring?" He got up and started to pace, "Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people are your lands kept safe! Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy, let us use it against him!"

"You cannot wield it!" Aragorn spoke up for the first time. "None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone, it has no other master."

"And what would a ranger know of this matter?"

A blonde elf, one that Kat had met before, named Legolas, stood, "This is no mere ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn… You owe him your allegiance."

Kat could tell that Boromir was shocked; his eyes flitted over to her and fixed her with an accusing stare before returning to the man beside her, "Aragorn? This… is Isildur's heir?"

"And heir to the throne of Gondor."

Kat saw Frodo watching them with a wide-eyed look; Aragorn motioned to Legolas to sit down. Boromir looked livid, "Gondor has no king… Gondor needs no king." He returned to his seat and refused to look in their direction.

After a few tense moments, Gandalf spoke up again, "Aragorn is right… we cannot use it."

"You have only one choice. The Ring _must_ be destroyed."

"Then what are we waiting for?" One of the dwarves grabbed his axe and stalked towards the pedestal. With a fierce yell, he struck the Ring with his axe. The Ring repelled him back with enough force to throw him onto the ground. Kat saw Frodo wince when the axe struck before she threw out her hand to enclose the pedestal in a sky blue shield in order to ensure the shards of the axe did not fly away from the pedestal and harm anyone. When it disappeared, they could see that the Ring remained intact with the shards of the axe littered all around it, whispers in the black tongue could be heard coming from the small device.

"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Glóin, by any craft that we here possess. The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom, only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came… one of you must do this."

Suddenly, nobody had anything to say.

"One does not simply walk into Mordor," Boromir stated, his hand rubbing his forehead. "Its black gates are guarded by more than just orcs. There is an evil there that does not sleep… the great Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this… it is folly!"

Legolas stood again in outrage, "Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed!"

Gimli leapt to his feet, "And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?"

"And if we fail, what then?" Boromir asked as he rose to his feet as well. "What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?"

"This is _not_ going to end well," Kat murmured to Aragorn as the arguments increased with everyone in the council bickering with one another.

"No, it is not. We do not have the time for petty rivalries when the stake of Middle Earth is at hand," he replied. Kat eyed him closely, she knew of his heritage, knew what he would eventually have to admit and accept. It was interesting to see that he would say things like this, wanting to change how things were, but refusing to accept his path and fate.

Frodo stood from his chair and took a few steps towards the arguing council, straining to make his voice heard above the cacophony of noise, "I will take it!… I will take it!"

At the sound of his small voice, the argument died down. Kat saw Gandalf close his eyes in sadness when he heard what Frodo had said. Those arguing slowly turned to Frodo, astonished at the nerve of this hobbit.

"I will take the Ring to Mordor… though… I do not know the way."

Kat sucked in a deep breath, '_Such bravery and selflessness from one so small_,' she thought.

"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins," Gandalf walked towards Frodo, "as long as it is yours to bear." He put his hands reassuringly on Frodo's shoulders.

Aragorn rose from his seat, "If by my life or death I can protect you, I will." Kat stood as he knelt in front of Frodo. "You have my sword."

"Mine as well," Kat nodded and joined them.

"And you have my bow."

"And my axe," Gimli gave Legolas a scathing look, but joined the group nonetheless.

"You carry the fate of us all, little one," Boromir walked over to them, meeting the gaze of all those who stood around Frodo. "If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done."

"Heh!" Sam shouted as he jumped from behind the bushes and pushed underneath Aragorn's arm to be by Frodo's side. "Mr. Frodo's not goin' anywhere without me!"

Lord Elrond looked entirely too amused, "No indeed, it is hardly possible to separate you even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not."

Kat saw Pippin and Merry emerge from behind two pillars to join them, "Oi! We're coming too!" Merry yelled. "You'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!" She had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing out loud at the entirely too aggravated look on Elrond's face.

"Anyway, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission… quest… thing," Pippin stated and Kat had to hide her laughter in a non-convincing cough, one look at Aragorn told her so.

"Well that rules you out, Pip," Merry sighed and Kat snorted.

"Ten companions… so be it," Elrond looked at each and every one of them. "You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring."

The seriousness of the moment was ruined by Pippin's next statement, "Great! Where are we going?"

"Pippin!"


	6. Chapter 6

Boromir wandered the paths that twisted through the woods around Rivendell, trying to keep his mind busy in the weeks it had been taking them to prepare for the long journey into Mordor. The air was quiet, calm, not at all what he was used to from living in Minas Tirith, a bustling city when times were better. He stumbled on an open clearing with targets for archery at one end and a wide-open area for sparring. Soft grunts and the soft song of a sword swinging through the air reached his ears and he was surprised to see Kat going through what looked to be a simple sword drill, first with one hand and then the other and then speeding it up. Her hair was up in what seemed to be her usual braid crown, smaller tendrils working loose and hanging around her face and neck, curling in the autumn air and sticking to her sweaty skin. The muscles in her slender arms rippled, bare because of the sleeveless shirt she wore, as she moved through the drills, each one getting more complicated than the last. Her feet were bare, wearing only leggings as she danced about the clearing.

"Are you going to stand there and stare all day or are you going to do something about it?" She finally snapped, breathing heavily as she turned around to look at him, Boromir blushing slightly at having gotten caught watching her.

"Up for a little sparring?"

"Verbal or physical? I go either way," Kat wiped the sweat off her brow while he shrugged off his outer tunic and pulled off his boots. She put down her sword and picked up the weighted wooden practice swords that Aragorn had used for her training.

"A bit of both and we will see where it goes?" Boromir smiled and easily caught the sword thrown towards his head. Swinging it around a few times, he got the feel of the sword and faced Kat. Both of them entered a ready position and began to circle each other, calculating who would strike first. Boromir struck first, approving at how quickly Kat responded with a counter attack and pushed him away.

After testing the waters a few more times, they dove right into the deep end. The swords crashed against each other, nearly vibrating with the power put behind the movements. Heavy breathing could be heard in the quiet clearing above the sounds of nature. Sweat rolled down their necks, backs, and skin, making their clothes soaking wet and allowed for bits of grass and dirt to stick to their bare skin. With a precise and quick move, Kat twisted to the side, feinting right and trying to hit him from the left. Boromir knocked the impending blow away hastily, adrenaline pumping through his body, and he moved to counter attack, aiming at her head but not succeeding as she quickly blocked that, locking their blades at the hilt. Now they were trapped in an intimate embrace, neither one wanting to move as that would give the advantage to the other.

Their faces were inches away, same with their bodies. Kat could feel Boromir's breath ghosting over her heated and sweat-soaked skin, the cooling effect of it raising goose bumps all over her body and sending shivers down her spine. She slowly looked up at his face and was shocked to see that he was inches away from her own. It scared her, the thought of someone willingly getting this close, entering her personal space. She hadn't had anyone like that for a long time.

Her breath caught in her throat as he inched closer. His grey eyes were silently questioning and Kat realized that she wanted this. She closed the gap between the two of them and her eyes fluttered close. Dropping the swords to the side, Boromir wrapped his arms around Kat's waist, her hands coming up to his shoulders, one of them trailing into his hair as they both sought a better advantage to deepen the kiss.

Boromir rested his forehead against Kat's while they both caught their breath after breaking the kiss, "I… apologize, Kathryn…"

"For what?"

"For… for being…"

"For being forward?" She huffed a laugh, not really wanting to leave his embrace just yet, relishing in the feel of someone's arms around her. "Embarrassed that you knew what you wanted and so did I? There's no shame in that, Boromir."

"I feel that… I feel like I took advantage of the fact that we were sparring."

"So it was a heat of the moment thing, I'm not really arguing about the outcome, are you?"

"No, bu-" Kat cut him off with another kiss and she felt his arms tighten around her waist. They kissed repeatedly, eventually tapering off into smaller ones until they were back to standing with their arms around each other.

"It's… it's been awhile for me, Boromir… for me to be attracted to anyone that is," Kat stated softly into his shoulder, her eyes watching the woods behind him as she talked. "I… I'm not the easiest person to get along with, but, I do want to get to know you better."

"Even though we're going on a journey that is most likely full of danger?"

"That's precisely why I'm telling you this," she retorted.

He chuckled, "Are you always this sharp with your tongue?"

"I had a good teacher. I'm not saying it's the perfect scenario, but it's worth a shot."

"What about Aragorn?"

"What about him?"

Boromir drew back to where he could see her face, "Are not the two of you…?"

"What…?"

"Together?"

She let out a bark of laughter before she could stop herself, "Me and Aragorn?" Kat's body shook with giggles, "Are you serious? No, no not ever! He is like my brother, Boromir, nothing more."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. He is in love with the Lady Arwen and she with him. I would never come between those two, ever."

"I see."

"Yes, now you do."

"And you are certain about your wish of getting to know about me?"

"Of course. I know what I want, Boromir, I am very certain of that fact. In fact, I know exactly what I want right now," she giggled again as Boromir leaned in to kiss her, getting the hint.

* * *

"Frodo?" the Ring-bearer looked up to see the woman he now knew as Lady Kathryn, or Kat, as she preferred to be called, standing in the doorway of his room. "How are you feeling today?"

"Fine, Lady Kathryn," he nodded.

She smiled, "Just Kat, I insist. I wanted to take a look at that shoulder of yours before we left Rivendell and I've been getting distracted since the Council meeting. I have the time now if that's fine with you."

"Sure," Frodo smiled back and unbuttoned his shirt while Kat walked further into the room, the sound of her black leather low-heeled boots dulled against the stone floor. She wore men's clothing, a light blue shirt underneath a dark blue tunic that was embroidered with the same color thread and a black sleeveless overcoat with matching breeches, a black leather fingerless glove on her right hand much like Aragorn. Her hair was braided over one shoulder as she knelt in front of him. "Do you know healing, Lady Kat?"

The woman grinned, her blue eyes sparkling, "That I do. I helped Lord Elrond with your shoulder when you first came here. Now hold still." She held back his shirt with one hand and with the other inspected the pink scar on his shoulder.

The fingers of her left hand brushed against the silver chain that held the Ring around Frodo's neck and a great fiery eye appeared in her head. "_Kathryn..._" an eerie voice whispered to her, "_Kathryn... I can get you home, I can help you find Elizabeth... You need only reach out and take the Ring_."

"Lady Kat?" Frodo's voice startled her and she blinked rapidly, clearing the vision of the Eye in her mind. "Lady Kat, are you alright?"

Kat shook her head to remove the dark voice from her mind, "Fine... but, uh, you should... you should probably move the... the Ring away from your shoulder." Frodo nodded, his blue eyes suspicious as he slowly held the chain to the side, allowing Kat unobstructed access to his shoulder. Her fingers glowed light blue and gently pressed into the scar tissue. The slight ache that had been bothering him earlier this week was replaced by tingling followed by a cooling sensation and when Kat retracted her fingers the ache was gone. "That should last for a while. Let me know if it bothers you again, preferably before we leave Rivendell and maybe we can figure out an herb you can take or something."

"Thank you, Lady Kat."

"It's just Kat and you're very welcome, Frodo," Kat smiled and stood. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

"I will," He nodded at her and she exited his room as quietly as she had appeared.

* * *

"Kat," the woman turned around from where she had been staring at the old stone arch that was the entrance to Rivendell to see Arwen smiling behind her. "Ready to leave already?"

Kat adjusted her arm guard before she answered the elf, "Not really, I feel anxious though."

"It's alright to feel that way," Arwen swept over to the younger woman and pulled her into a comforting embrace. "My dear Kat, what am I going to do without you here?"

"Probably get some work done for once without me distracting you," Kat quipped and she felt Arwen's laughter. She wrapped her arms around Arwen tightly, not wanting to let go of yet another sister.

"You will be fine, Kat. You may even find your sister, Elizabeth, wouldn't that be nice?"

"It would."

Arwen drew back and pressed a kiss to Kat's forehead, "I wish there was more I could give you than my words and thoughts, Kat."

"Your support is more than enough, Arwen."

The elf maiden smiled, "You are very kind. Keep an eye on our dear Estel, would you?"

"Of course," Kat nodded. "He may be stubborn, but so am I."

Arwen laughed brightly and hugged Kat tightly one last time, "I will leave you for now, I know you have work to do before the Fellowship leaves. Farewell, my little sister, and safe travels."

"Farewell, sister."

Kat watched as Arwen walked away from her and she sighed.

"Such a heavy sigh for one so young," Elrond's voice startled her, but she relaxed at the smile on his face. "I do not think I will ever see you as anything but the young woman Aragorn brought here twenty years ago. A young maiden so full of life and curiosity who has grown into a wise woman who is more than capable of facing the world out there today."

Kat blushed faintly at the praise given to her, "It is you I must thank for that, Lord Elrond. You gave me a place to stay, to grow and learn when others might have turned me away."

His smile widened, "You are very kind, Kathryn. Go with my blessing on this quest. I am sure you will find out more about yourself in being a part of the Fellowship."

She bit her lower lip, fighting back tears as she stepped forward and hugged him. He was slightly shocked, but he wrapped his arms around her all the same, "Thank you."

"No, thank you, my daughter."

Kat let out a watery laugh, "Does this mean I get to call you _atar_ instead of Lord Elrond?"

Elrond chuckled, "_You may call me whatever you like, Kathryn_," he responded in elvish. "_Trust in your instincts, they will guide you well. Remember what Gandalf and I taught you with your magic and try not to do too much at once, it has been years for you to use your magic in large quantities_."

"_I will... atar. Farewell_," she drew back and he offered her a handkerchief to wipe away her tears. Kat did so gladly. "_May the Great Mother Goddess watch over you and guide you through these troubling times_."

He smiled at the blessing, "_Same to you, Kathryn_."

* * *

In a glade beneath the old stone arch, the Fellowship gathered to bid farewell to the elven city on Christmas Day. Elrond stood foremost, preparing to speak to them, as golden and fire colored leaves fluttered to the ground.

"The Ring-bearer is setting out on the Quest of Mount Doom. Those who travel with them, there is no oath or bond given to go further than you will. Farewell… hold to your purpose. May the blessings of Elves and Men and all free folk go with you." Elrond spread his arms, and Legolas, Aragorn, and Kat bowed their heads, hands upon their hearts in response.

"The Fellowship awaits the Ring-bearer," Gandalf said to Frodo.

Frodo turned and walked through their group, uncertain. They followed Frodo and Gandalf under the arch of lichen-encrusted stone. Kat gently trailed her fingers over the old stone of the arch as she passed underneath.

"Homesick already?" Boromir asked her, his tone lightly teasing.

"Though I have lived here many years, Rivendell is not my true home."

"Right, you told me the night we met," he nodded. "You are from a 'far off land', dare I ask which one?"

Kat looked up at the dappled sunlight beaming through the trees. "I came from a city called Atlantis."

"What is it like?"

"Truly magnificent. Tall silver spires that shone in the sunlight and were bright against the blue skies of Lantea. Any time you went outside, you could smell the salt of the ocean and feel the cool sea breeze. It was an old majestic city, built by those who came before us many years ago… my ancestors. It was a jewel of a city, full of life as it floated on the oceans even in a time of danger and the unknown."

"Sounds wonderful… where is it now?"

She shrugged, "I have no clue. I was traveling… I was traveling through something my people call a stargate."

"What is that?"

"It's a doorway through the stars," she smiled. "It allowed us to travel to different lands in an instant. I was traveling through one when I ended up here in Middle Earth."

"Does Middle Earth not have this gate of stars?"

Kat chuckled, "It's stargate, and no, not to my knowledge."

"And you can only return to Atlantis by these means?"

"Yes."

"I am sorry, Kathryn."

"I have come to accept my fate, Boromir. I only wish to find Elizabeth."

"Who is she?"

"She's my sister. We were traveling together."

"Through the gate of stars."

"_Stargate_ and yes."

"Kathryn!" They snapped their heads towards the front of the group when Gandalf called her name. "Kathryn!"

"I've been summoned," Kat quipped and flashed him a smile while she hurried up the hill to find out what the old wizard needed.

* * *

They paused on an outstretched arm of the Misty Mountains. Kat sat next to Aragorn, watching Boromir teaching Merry and Pippin how to sword fight.

"Two, one, five… good, very good," Boromir smiled at Pippin, both of the hobbits reminded him of his younger brother, Faramir.

Kat inhaled the familiar scent of Aragorn's pipe weed while the ranger called out in encouragement, "Move your feet!"

"You look good, Pippin," Merry told his cousin around the food in his mouth.

"Thanks," the younger hobbit replied.

"Faster!" Boromir ordered. "Come on… good!" He accidently nicked Pippin's hand.

"Aah!" Pippin cried out in pain.

"Sorry!" He went over to help him out and Pippin kicked him in the shin. Boromir yelped in pain.

"Get him!" Merry yelled. They tackled the warrior of Gondor to the ground. Boromir, Aragorn, and Kat were laughing with the hobbits.

"For the Shire! Hold him! Hold him down, Merry!" Pippin shouted.

Aragorn got up and walked over to them, "Gentlemen, that's enough." He laid a hand on either hobbit's shoulder. Pippin and Merry grabbed his legs in response, pulling them out from underneath him causing Aragorn to fall down on his back.

Kat couldn't breathe she was laughing so hard.

"What is that?" Sam's question echoed across their campsite.

"Nothing, just a whiff of cloud," Gimli answered, unperturbed.

Boromir got up from the ground, a hand on both Merry and Pippin's shoulders, "It's moving fast… against the wind."

"Crebain from Dunland!" Legolas shouted, finally able to discern what the dark cloud coming up from the south was.

"Hide!" Aragorn ordered them all.

"Hurry!" Boromir added to it.

"Kat, do what you can!" Kat nodded to Aragorn and climbed on top of a rock while the rest of the Fellowship scrambled to gather their things. She called her magic forth as Sam put out the campfire.

Boromir looked out from his shelter to see Kat kneeling on top of one of the large rocks, eyes closed, and her arms in front of her, palms together, before she whipped them out to her sides, fingers splayed while her eyes opened. Her sapphire blue eyes glowed sky blue and he felt a crackle in the air shortly before a wave of some unknown force washed over him, leaving his skin tingling.

"Nobody move," she called out while the birds drew closer. They waited. A flock of black birds rushed overhead, cawing loudly. They circled the hill and then turned and flew back south. Kat pulled her arms back in and the crackle of magic left the air. They came out of their hiding places.

"Spies of Saruman! The passage south is being watched… we must take the Pass of Caradhras," Gandalf looked up at a great, snow-covered peak in the distance. "Excellent work, Kathryn," he nodded to the woman with a proud smile.

"Thank you, Gandalf," Kat replied, her voice and hands shaky.

"Are you alright?" Boromir asked her quietly, helping her sit down on a smaller rock while the rest of them packed up their things.

"I will be… I swear," she nodded in thanks when he handed her water. Kat took a swig from it, "A bit more magic than I was intending to do so soon into our trip, though."

"Do you usually use magic like this?"

"Not in years," Kat shook her head. "Living in Rivendell, I mostly used my magic to heal, even then not too much. I haven't used it to aid in battle or hide things for a long time."

"That is what you did? You hid us from the birds?"

"Yes, normally it wouldn't leave me this… shaken, but everyone was spread out a bit far. I'm fine, I swear it, Boromir."

"At least eat something."

"If it will make you happy, I will," Kat took the proffered apple and bit into the crisp fruit.


	7. Chapter 7

Boromir kept Kat in front of him as they climbed the snowy slopes of Caradhras; she had slipped a few times on their way up and if he had not seen how much energy her magic sapped from her earlier, Boromir would have thought she was the clumsiest person he'd met, but he caught the weariness in her face every time it happened as well as the frustration and said nothing except to help her up. The sky was a deep cobalt blue the higher they climbed, especially against the backdrop of the crisp white snow. They heard a yelp behind them and turned to see Frodo rolling down the slope towards Aragorn.

"Frodo!" the ranger helped the hobbit to his feet. Frodo regained his footing and put his hand up to his throat, checking instinctively for the Ring. He looked back up the slope when he found it missing. Kat hadn't even noticed that Boromir had stepped back down their tracks broken into the snow until Aragorn quietly called out his name. Boromir had seen the Ring in the snow and picked it up by the chain.

The man was oblivious to Aragorn's call, riveted by the Ring, "It is a strange fate we should suffer so much fear and doubt… over so small a thing… such a little thing." He reached out with a gloved hand to touch it.

"_Boromir!_" Boromir looked up from his trance at Aragorn's yell. "Give the Ring to Frodo."

He walked slowly down the slope to the pair. Aragorn's hand was on the hilt of his sword. Boromir held out the Ring, "As you wish…" Frodo grabbed the Ring sharply, an almost tormented look on his face. "…I care not." Boromir jokingly tousled Frodo's hair and hefted his shield onto his back while resuming the climb. Kat looked past him to meet Aragorn's concerned gaze and the man released his grip on his sword.

She caught the meaning of his look, and she too was concerned over the hold the Ring had on Boromir. Kat knew the dark powers of persuasion the Ring held from what Gandalf and Elrond had told her as well as from the books she had read, it was corrupted and corrupted anyone who came into contact with it… this worried Kat more than she thought it should.

* * *

"Boromir!" Kat cried out to the man behind her, struggling to be heard above the screaming wind. "Let me take one of the hobbits!" Boromir wordlessly handed over Pippin. He shivered in Kat's arms as she held him close and up out of the snow that came up to her waist on the narrow ledge. "Damn elves…" she muttered as Legolas easily walked on top of the thick snow. Pippin laughed in her ear.

"There is a fell voice on the air!" Legolas reported.

"It's Saruman!" Gandalf shouted. A horde of rock slabs and boulders fell down from higher up on the mountain. The group shoved themselves up against the sheer cliff wall to avoid the onslaught of stone.

Aragorn yelled up to Gandalf, "He's trying to bring down the mountain! Gandalf, we must turn back!"

"No!" Gandalf stepped out onto the ledge, rising on the snow and chanting out a counter command to Caradhras. The old wizard's voice bellowed into the air in an attempt to calm the rage of the mountain. It seemed to be working when lightning struck the tip of Caradhras, sending a second avalanche of white ice onto them. Legolas snatched Gandalf from the edge, pulling him back against the cliff just before the ice hit. The avalanche cascaded over the Fellowship, the snow burying them completely. After a moment, they emerged.

"We must get off the mountain!" Boromir shouted. "Make for the Gap of Rohan and take the west road to my city!"

"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!" Aragorn shook his head.

"If we cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it. Let us go through the mines of Moria," Gimli forcefully suggested.

Gandalf's eyes looked fearful and the old wizard was conflicted. After a few moments, he spoke, "Let the Ring-bearer decide…"

"We cannot stay here!" Boromir shouted again, holding Merry to him, Pippin shivering in Kat's arms. Both were cold and extremely pale. "This will be the death of the hobbits!"

"Frodo?" Gandalf asked.

Frodo looked fearful as well, but he made his decision, "We will go through the mines."

"So be it."

* * *

They passed south in the shadow of ruins. The Fellowship walked beneath the remains of a great aqueduct in the mist and ice of the mountains. The air was much warmer down here, more humid, making Kat slightly uncomfortable at the thickness of it. Pippin decided to stay by her after Caradhras and she didn't mind. He was a delightful young hobbit and a great conversationalist to have around as well.

"The mines of Moria!" Gimli's amazed statement hurried them along the path. They stood and looked up at a vast cliff face, immense and brooding, that rose above them away into the mists. They navigated the path around the large lake next to the cliff to search for the door.

"Dwarf doors are invisible when closed," Gimli was nearly giddy with excitement as he tapped his axe against a rock. The Fellowship moved along the rock wall, tapping and prying, searching for the door.

"Yes, Gimli, their own masters cannot find them, if their secrets are forgotten," Gandalf replied.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Legolas sniped. Gimli grumbled, but said nothing.

"Careful there, Frodo," Kat steadied the hobbit when he nearly fell into the water. "How's the shoulder?"

"It aches a bit, but I'm fine."

"Let me know if it starts acting any worse," She smiled and he nodded his thanks and moved closer to his kin.

Gandalf approached the rock between two twisted and gnarled trees. He ran his hand over the cliff face, "Let's see… Ithildin, mirrors only starlight… and moonlight." He looked up at the ink black night sky and the moon appeared. Framed by the sharp shadows of the two trees, the silvery lines once hidden by age and dirt, shone with a brilliant white light. They outlined a door formed of two columns beneath an arch with a star in the center. Writing in a strange tongue appeared in the arch and Gandalf explained, pointing with his gnarled staff, "It reads '_The Doors of Durin – Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter_.'"

"What do you suppose that means?" Merry asked.

"It's quite simple. If you are a friend, you speak the password and the doors will open." Gandalf then tried multiple times to open the doors, using many different languages and phrases, all of them not working.

"Nothin's happening," Pippin piped up and Kat had to bite her lower lip to keep from laughing at the annoyed look Gandalf threw over his shoulder at Pippin.

Gandalf even tried to push on the doors, but they remained where they were, "I once knew every spell in all the tongues of Elves… Men… and Orcs."

"What are you going to do then?"

"_Knock your head against these doors, Peregrin Took!_ And if that does not shatter them, then I am allowed a little peace from foolish questions. I will try to find the opening words."

Time passed as they sat around the doors near the lake, waiting for Gandalf to open them. Night deepened and the air grew colder.

"Are you alright?" Boromir asked Kat when she pulled her cloak tighter around her body.

"Are you done asking that question?" she snapped, irritated.

"I am sorry."

"No… don't… I told you I was difficult to get along with weeks ago," Kat sighed. "I feel… uneasy."

"What about?"

"The mines, sitting here… I just have this feeling that something dark is coming." Both of them jerked their heads up when they heard a splash. Merry was throwing stones into the water for entertainment, Pippin was about to follow suit when Aragorn stopped him.

"Do not disturb the water."

Boromir helped Kat to her feet and they watched with Aragorn as a ripple ran through the water. The water continued to ripple ominously before the stone doors slowly swinging open and rumbling deeply seized their attention. The Fellowship entered Moria.

Gandalf placed a rough-hewn crystal into the gnarled roots topping his staff, "Kathryn, if you would provide some light as well, please."

"Certainly, Gandalf," Kat curled her left hand into a fist and it started to glow. Moonlight flooded into the shadowy rock chamber as they moved more towards the inky blackness at the far end of the chamber.

"Soon, Master Elf," Gimli was positively humming with delight, "you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves! Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone. This, my friend, is the home of my cousin, Balin."

Gandalf brought his hand around his staff, blowing upon the crystal, as one would kindle a fire to live. It started glowing and at that moment, Kat opened her fist to reveal a ball of light that floated above the back end of the group. With the bountiful amount of light at their disposal, they soon saw what it revealed… broken stairs and columns, upon which were many dark forms.

"And they call it a mine. A mine!"

"This is no mine," Boromir stated upon looking around. "It is a tomb!" The light had revealed rotted, broken, and battered forms strewn about the room.

"Oh…no! Noooooooo!" Gimli's strangled cry echoed around them, as the forms were clearly dwarven corpses.

Legolas pulled an arrow from one of the bodies to examine it. He threw it away in disgust, "Goblins!" Aragorn, Kat, and Boromir drew their swords while Legolas fitted an arrow to his bow.

"We make for the Gap of Rohan. We should have never come here," Boromir's voice echoed around the hall. "Now get out of here, get out!"

They started for the door and Kat looked over her shoulder just in time to see Frodo grabbed from behind and pulled off his feet by a long, snaking tentacle, "Frodo!"

"Strider!" Sam yelled.

"Help!" Frodo screamed.

Sam hacked at the tentacle, "Get off him! Strider!"

"Aragorn!" Merry called out. The hobbits clutched at Frodo, Sam finally cutting through the one wrapped around the dark-haired hobbit's leg. They attempted to keep him away from the water as the tentacles wrapped around him. The watching creature at the gate released Frodo and disappeared under the waters.

They breathed a sigh of relief, but then many more tentacles shot out of the water, slapping the other hobbits aside and grabbing Frodo around the leg again. It pulled him out over the water and into the air. "Frodo!"

Legolas ran out onto the shore and shot his bow. The arrow pierced a tentacle wrapping itself over Frodo's face while the hobbit cried out for Aragorn. Kat rushed into the water alongside Boromir and Aragorn to attack the beast.

It flung Frodo about wildly in the air as they attacked the creature. They hacked at the many tentacles, getting completely soaked in the process. One of the tentacles whipped out and smacked Kat across the face with enough force to turn her entire body a hundred and eighty degrees, leaving her in a daze before she shook herself out of it and attacked the beast anew.

Despite their efforts, Frodo was lowered towards a gaping maw in the water ringed by fangs and set in a gilled face that reminded Kat of old drawings of krakens from Earth. Aragorn sliced through the tentacle holding Frodo and he fell into Boromir's arms. They retreated, Boromir in the lead with Frodo and Aragorn practically pulling Kat along behind him as the beast continued after them. Legolas took aim and shot an arrow deep into the creature's eye. It recoiled in pain with a roar.

"Run!" Aragorn yelled. They raced into Moria and the creature reached out and slammed the gates shut. Slabs of rocks plummeted and the roof of the passageway collapsed and crumbled. The Fellowship stared back in fear as the last rays of moonlight were obliterated and total darkness fell. Gasps and heavy breathing echoed in the darkness.

"We now have but one choice," light appeared from Gandalf's staff as he spoke. He knocked it against the floor and it brightened, showing the startled and frightened faces of the Fellowship. "We must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard… there are older and fouler things than orcs in the deep places of the world."

They carefully picked their way over the floor and up the broad steps, the silhouettes of skeletal remains and black fletched arrows frame them as they move by the light of Gandalf's staff. "Quietly now. It's a four-day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed."

"Kat?" Aragorn asked softly, looking behind him to get a look at her cheek now that they were in the light.

"I'm fine," she winced as he probed the darkening bruise that covered her left cheek and part of her jaw. "You know how easily I bruise."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Aragorn, it's just a bruise and I have a slight headache, nothing more. I have had worse," Kat squeezed her hand into a fist and let loose another ball of light, the old one having died out during the fight, and trudged on ahead of them. The men looked at each other before following her. The Fellowship entered a great cavern with a serpentine walkway that ran down through the middle. The path was roughly hewn and narrow, rocky arches and boulders could be seen in the low light and it would take hours to cross.

Silence hung around the group while the hours passed as they made their way through Moria. They crossed a path and went past a dark stony doorway, coming to a narrow, curving stair. Ladders and iron chains rose from a dark pit to their right and on the left, steep rock walls rose. A chain swung slowly, clinking and the noise reverberated.

Gandalf rested his hand upon a rock with silvery veins running through it, "The wealth of Moria was not in gold… or jewels…" he tilted his staff down towards the pit, "…but in Mithril."

The light illuminated the pit below them and all of them stared in awe at it. A vast, seemingly endless rock wall dropped into the depths below. Row upon row of ladders and scaffolding, old and disused, disappeared into the mining shafts scattered below them. Kat saw Merry lean forward slightly out of the corner of her right eye to get a closer look and Pippin put a warning hand in front of him.

"Bilbo had a shirt of Mithril rings that Thorin gave him."

Gimli gasped, "Oh, that was a kingly gift."

"Yes!" Gandalf smiled. "I never told him, but its worth was greater than the value of the Shire."

They climbed up steep steps on the side of a cavern filled with many rows of tombs, all silent. Pippin lost his footing above Kat and slipped onto Merry, who berated him quietly. After climbing another flight of stairs that led to a crossroads in the mine, they stopped. Three doorways loomed before them as Gandalf looked from one to the other and back, "I have no memory of this place."

They rested beneath a peak of rough stone while Gandalf tried to decide their course, sitting alone at the top. Kat and Aragorn sat on either side of Boromir, Aragorn pulled out his pipe and started smoking while the woman was finally able to get a look at her face. Boromir looked on in curiosity as she pulled out a mirror from her belt purse and looked intently at the bruised and swollen side of her face.

"Not the worst I've had, but definitely up there," Kat mused while she pulled out a glass jar almost full of a green salve. She carefully unscrewed the top and gathered a bit onto the middle and ring fingers of her right hand, gently smearing the salve from her temple, to around her eye, and down the whole of her cheek and jaw, returning to the jar only a few times to sparingly gather more salve to use. Kat bit back a sigh of relief at the coolness of the salve against the aching throb of her face that had been going on for the three days they had been traveling in the mines.

"What is that?" Boromir asked as she put away the jar and mirror.

"Bruise salve, made by my teacher in Tortall."

"Tortall… is that another city in Lantea?"

"No, not really."

"You have traveled a lot in your life."

She smiled, "That I have. Anyways, my teacher, Alanna, made it for me, infusing the herbs used in it with her healing magic. The bruise should be mostly gone by the time we're out of here."

"Handy thing to have around."

"That it is."

"I know you described it to me, but could you tell me more of Atlantis?" Boromir asked.

Kat's face lit up in a smile, "I can do better, I can show you." She reached into her belt purse and pulled out a leather bound journal that should not have fit in that at all, but Boromir figured it was some sort of magic trick. She cracked it open and he could see pages upon pages of her writing, sketches, and drawings as well as glossy paintings affixed to the pages that shone in the firelight.

"What are those?" He motioned towards them.

"An advanced sort of painting called a photograph, the machine used for them, called a camera, captures a moment in an instant, much faster than painting or drawing and is far more accurate," Kat handed over her journal and gestured to some of the photos where he could see the silver spires she had told him about, "This is Atlantis."

He pointed to the photo next over of Kat next to a darker brunette woman with green eyes both of them were smiling, and both were wearing identical grey and red clothing, the only difference being the color of their shirts underneath the jackets, "Who is she?"

"That's… that's Elizabeth," Kat smiled sadly.

He put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently, "I believe you will find her, Kathryn… You don't look anything alike for being sisters," he teased, hoping to get a response other than sadness out of her.

She snorted, "Different fathers, same mother, that's also why we have different last names. Mine's Lattimer, hers is Weir."

"Your mother must be beautiful then."

"Flirt," Kat grinned wryly.

"Ah!" they heard Gandalf's elated voice above them, "It's that way."

Merry got up, "He's remembered!"

They joined Gandalf up at the doorways and he put on his hat, "No, but the air doesn't smell so foul down here." He rested a hand on Merry's shoulder, "If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose."

Before long they came into a more open space, the ceiling so far up that it was unable to be seen in the current light. Broken ornate columns lay tumbled across the floor in huge chunks. Gandalf lifted up his staff, "Let me risk… a little more light." His staff illuminated the grandiose hall of stone lined with tall angular pillars and arched ceilings as far as the eye could see. "Behold the great realm and Dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf." The dark hall was edged with silver in the light from the wizard's staff and Kat's ball of light.

"Now there's an eye opener, make no mistake," Sam stated. The group made their way down the vast hall, staying well within the circle of light cast by both Gandalf and Kat. About halfway through the hall, and hours later, Gimli spotted something around one of the large columns. A ray of sunlight shone through a chamber where corpses were scattered about something that was brightly lit. "Haugh!"

"Gimli!" Gandalf tutted, but the dwarf paid no heed to the wizard and ran into the chamber. Its walls and recesses were scarred and broken, as were the bodies and weapons lying about. Gimli stopped and kneeled by a sarcophagus in the center of the room where a single shaft of sunlight spilt upon it, illuminating the white marble stone. Gandalf, he and the Fellowship having followed Gimli in, walked forward to peer at the tomb's surface. As Gimli sobbed, Boromir put a hand on the dwarf's shoulder. Gandalf translated the runes etched into the white stone, "_Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria_… He is dead then… it is as I feared."

Gimli wailed in his grief, Kat joined Boromir in trying to comfort him. She knelt by his left side, her arm around his back in a hug, her left hand squeezing his bicep in a show of silent support. She was no stranger to loss, to coming back from a mission and finding someone you had joked with that morning dead or missing presumed dead.

Gandalf had handed over his staff and hat to Pippin, bent down, and taken a large and battered book from the grasp of a mummified corpse. He opened it, a handful of pages falling out, and cleared the dirt from its pages, "_They have taken the bridge… and the second hall._" Gimli stopped sobbing and looked up at the wizard blankly. "_We have barred the gates… but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums… drums… in the deep._" He looked up slowly and turned the smudged, bloodstained page. All of them looked around uncomfortably. "_We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out… They are coming!_"

The uneasy silence following was broken by the resounding crash of something falling down the nearby well in the room. Gandalf whipped around, spooked, as was the rest of the Fellowship, to see Pippin looking incredibly guilty while the now headless corpse slipped into the well, dragging a chain and bucket behind it. The noise echoed through every hall far below. Where once was only silence, a ricocheting noise filled every nook and cranny, Pippin wincing with each bounce. At last, silence prevailed and the group began to relax.

Gandalf slammed the book shut, "Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!" He yanked his hat and staff away from Pippin and turned away.

Kat could have sworn that her blood froze when two distinct booms thundered in the deep. "Oh no…" The drums increased in volume and frequency while they all listened, wondering where it was coming from and who or what it would be that they would face.

"Frodo!" Sam cried out and the hobbit pulled out his sword to reveal it was glowing blue.

"Orcs!" Legolas shouted, finally able to place what their enemies were. Boromir ran to the door to have a look. He pulled his head back as quickly as he had stuck it out, arrows hissing into the door near his face.

Aragorn ran to him, yelling at the hobbits as he went, "Get back! Stay close to Gandalf!" They shoved the doors shut, a bellow could be heard just outside.

"They have a cave troll," Boromir deadpanned. Legolas and Kat tossed various old weapons to the men to help blockade the door. They all drew their weapons, ready to fight.

Gimli leapt atop Balin's tomb and brandished his axe, "Aarrgghhh! Let them come! There is one dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!" Pounding on the door began, the creatures beyond it bent on breaking the doors down. Weapons started appearing through the splintering old wood. Legolas and Aragorn stood ready with their bows and arrows, Kat and Boromir slightly behind them, swords at the ready. At the first clear gap in the door, Legolas shot an arrow and a shrill cry rang out. The elf notched another arrow while Aragorn shot one himself.

The beasts broke through and the battle began for all of them. A wave of armor clad orcs charged towards them. Kat ducked a swing and thrust her sword up, into and through an orc, the pale slightly curved blade smeared with black blood. She pulled it back out and whirled around to slash at another orc.

"Kat, look out!" Boromir called out, alerting her to the orc behind her. She pulled the knife from Jack out of its scabbard on her belt and turned just in time to thrust it up underneath the orc's ribcage. She twisted the knife and pulled it back out, leaving the orc twitching on the ground. Kat nodded her thanks to Boromir and began the battle anew.

A cave troll smashed through the doorway, momentarily freezing the Fellowship. It went after Sam, but Aragorn and Boromir pulled it back by the chains around its neck. The troll twisted its arm and whipped Boromir clear across the room. He landed in a recess of the wall, dazed. Kat was about to cry out a warning to him, seeing the orc standing above him, ready to strike, when Aragorn threw Boromir's blade into the orc's neck. Boromir got up and looked over at the other man. Aragorn nodded to him and jumped back into the fray. Kat flashed Boromir a grin as he drew his sword from the orc's neck, he returned the smile and both of them began battling once more.

Kat was on the other side of the room, fighting orcs as they came up the staircase. She was caught by surprise and one of them knocked her down on her back. While Legolas and the others fought with the cave troll, Kat wrestled with the orc. She could hear Frodo cry out for Aragorn, even as the orc threatened to overpower her, sweat pouring down her face and back, dirt grinding deep into her skin. She bared her teeth in almost feral expression and managed to free her knife. She jerked the orc's head up with a firm hand and pulled the sharp blade across the orc's unprotected neck. Black blood gushed out of the wound, covering the lower half of her face and neck. Kat shoved the body to one side, spitting and coughing the foul blood out of her mouth, "Shit…" She used one of her sleeves to wipe away as much of the blood as she could, "God damn orcs."

Sam's almost lost call of Frodo's name drew her attention back to the rest of the room. She looked up just in time to see Merry and Pippin launch themselves at the troll, landing on its shoulders, while Gandalf stood stunned. The troll grabbed Merry and swung him around, throwing him to the ground, Kat scrambled down the staircase to get to him, killing the remaining few orcs along the way. Gandalf and Gimli took turns stabbing at the troll, dodging out of range whenever it swung at them. With Pippin stabbing the troll one last time in the head, the troll opened its mouth and Legolas delivered the deathblow, shooting his arrow up into the brain through the mouth of the troll. It stopped fighting and with a long, pained moan, the troll collapsed to the ground, Pippin thrown against the floor.

Kat spat out the remaining blood in her mouth, her face smeared with a mixture of orc blood and her own from a cut on her forehead from where she had been bashed against the wall by an orc, and joined Boromir. Gandalf rushed over to Frodo, Aragorn crawling towards him as well, "Oh no…" Aragorn rolled him over, Frodo groaned and gasped for breath.

"He's alive!" Sam smiled.

"I'm alright," Frodo gasped with his hand on his chest. "I'm not hurt… badly."

"You should be dead! That spear would have skewered a wild boar."

"I think there is more to this hobbit than meets the eye," Gandalf said with a tired smile. Frodo opened his shirt to reveal an elegantly made silver shirt underneath.

"Mithril!" Gimli looked in awe. "You are full of surprises, Master Baggins."

"Alright there, Kat?" Aragorn asked. "Did you maul an orc?" He motioned to her bloody lower face and neck.

She glared at him after sheathing her knife, "Aragorn, you're being an ass, shut up." The sound of orcs could be heard again down the hall.

"To the Bridge of Khazad-dûm!" Gandalf ordered. They ran out the rear door of the chamber into a high, ornate hall of pillars with a ray of light shining through a shaft somewhere. Kat could hear the orcs following them, surrounding them as they sprung from the floor and crawled from the ceiling and down the pillars, reminding her of a hoard of insects.

Her shoulder brushed against Boromir's when they stood in a circle, weapons drawn and facing outwardly. The orcs snarled and leered at them all, relishing in the fact that they had the Fellowship surrounded. A guttural, thunderous rumble came out of nowhere before the orcs could do anything, followed by a fiery orange light appearing at the end of the long hall. The orcs, clearly frightened, fled in all directions.

"What is this new devilry?" Boromir asked Gandalf once the Fellowship was alone in the hall.

The wizard didn't respond right away. When the growl was heard again, he opened his eyes, "A Balrog… a demon of the ancient world."

Kat's blood definitely ran cold this time. "You have _got_ to be bloody kidding me," she muttered.

"This foe is beyond any of you," Gandalf turned as the fiery light advanced, "Run!" They ran between rows of pillars, Gandalf shepherding them through a small doorway in the wall, "Quickly!"

They entered a passageway and went down a flight of steps. Kat couldn't help the strangled cry that ripped from her throat when Boromir nearly fell into the fires below, Legolas pulling him back at the last second. Boromir looked over his shoulder at her, meeting her terrified eyes until the Balrog roared again, startling them. The Fellowship descended the flight of stairs, twisting down into the fiery depths of Moria. They encountered a gap in the stairs.

Legolas leapt forward and landed on the other side while the Balrog moved closer to them, sending rocks tumbling down into the deep. The elf beckoned, "Gandalf."

Gandalf leaps after him, Legolas easily helping him even as arrows whistled down on them from a far ledge, striking the stone at their feet. Legolas shot back and they could hear the distant shriek of an orc.

"Merry! Pippin!" Boromir grabbed the two hobbits and crossed the gap with a yell, more of the stairs breaking off in the process.

Aragorn easily tossed Sam across where he was caught by Boromir. He turned to Kat, "You next." She nodded and with his help, was launched across, Boromir catching her just as easily as he did Sam; she swore she could feel the heat of his hands on her waist, burning through her clothes. He set her down quickly with a brief nod and she joined Legolas in shooting the orcs that were shooting at them.

Kat dodged an arrow that came too close to her head for her liking, "Son of a bitch! Is that how we're playing?" She drew her bow again, this time with no arrow. She breathed almost in meditation and her eyes glowed, a sky blue arrow whispered into existence in her bow. Exhaling, Kat let it loose and the arrow sang through the air as it traveled up to the ledge. She clenched her right hand into a fist and the arrow split into multiple clones, each one hitting a target, the lifeless bodies falling into the fires below. "Rot in hell, you bloody bastards!"

A large slab of rock fell from the ceiling and smashed through the steps behind Aragorn and Frodo, creating another gap behind them and weakening the stairs' foundation, making it begin to rock. "Hang on! Lean forward!" Aragorn encouraged the hobbit and they shifted their weight forward, tipping the stairs across the divide and slamming them into where the rest of the group was. Aragorn and Frodo leapt across to safety, Legolas and Boromir pulling them over. All of them turned and ran down the steps, more stone structures falling behind them.

"Over the bridge! Fly!" They fled as Gandalf ordered them. Kat looked over her shoulder and saw a giant black shadowed form leap through the flames, its eyes of white fire and big ash-black horns curling around a bull like head. It opened its mouth and rippling heat poured out with a rumble. A great, black, cloven foot stomped down into the hall, bursting into flame as they fled from it.

"Kat, come on!" Aragorn pulled her around by her upper arm, urging her across the narrow bridge before him. It was a good thing she wasn't afraid of heights.

"You cannot pass!" They heard Gandalf shout once they were on the other side. The wizard had paused in the middle of the bridge.

"Gandalf!" Frodo cried out.

Shadow like wings of ash whirled around the Balrog. It spread its arms and the large body burst into crackling, bursting, and thundering flames. Gandalf stood beneath it, staff and sword raised, "I am the servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor…" He lifted his staff, a blazing light radiated from it, illuminating the entire bridge and encircling the wizard in a globe of endless light. "The dark fire will not avail you, Flame of Udûn!" The Balrog heaved its arm upward, a broad sword of fire forming in its hand. It struck down on Gandalf, who parried it with his blade, shattering the Balrog's sword. The enraged demon bellowed at the wizard. Gandalf shouted again, "Go back to the shadow!"

A new weapon appeared in the Balrog's grip, a flaming whip that it lashed about menacingly. Gandalf raised his sword and staff together into the air, "_YOU… SHALL NOT… PASS!_" He drove his staff into the bridge, a bright flash of blue light burned Kat's eyes and she reflexively shielded them from it. The Balrog flared its nostrils and stepped forward onto the bridge. The ancient structure crumbled underneath it as it moved towards Gandalf, breaking before the wizard's staff. The beast of flame and shadow plunged into the chasm, still wielding the whip.

Kat exhaled in relief with the others as Gandalf turned to follow them. She cried out when she saw the flaming whip wind around Gandalf's ankle, dragging him over the edge, "Gandalf!" He clung to the bridge, straining to keep his grip.

Frodo rushed forward, but Boromir restrained him, "No, no, Frodo!"

"Gandalf!" the hobbit screamed.

Gandalf grasped desperately at the stone, looking up to see them all still there, "Fly, you fools!" The bottom of Kat's stomach dropped when he let go, falling back into the abyss. He couldn't be gone, Gandalf just couldn't be. He was Gandalf, consistent and eternal in this world. She stood there in shock, her hand outstretched and tears streaking down her face.

"Nooooooooooooo!" Frodo's anguished cry shocked Kat into action. She numbly followed Boromir after he hoisted the hobbit up into his arms, Frodo still screaming. They spilled out of Moria, blinking in the harsh brightness of the sunlight that contrasted so fiercely with the darkness of the mines. Kat looked around, everyone was distraught. She walked over to Sam, who was sitting on the ground, weeping into his hands. Her hands shook as she smoothed back his red blonde curls after kneeling in front of him, giving him a small sad smile that was more of a grimace. Sam folded into her arms easily, his small body shaking with sobs. Kat's own tears rolled down her cheeks, leaving clean paths of skin through the muck collected over the past few days as she held the hobbit close and gently kissed the top of his head.

"Legolas, get them up," she heard Aragorn order.

"Give them a moment, for pity's sake!" Boromir pleaded, glancing over at Kat, who looked almost grey from exhaustion, not to mention the paleness of the hobbits who had not experienced death like this.

"By nightfall these hills will be swarming with orcs!" Aragorn retorted. "We must reach the woods of Lothlórien. Come, Boromir, Kat, Legolas, Gimli… get them up."

"On your feet, Sam," Kat held out her hands to help him up. Sam wordlessly stood, sadness still etched on his face.

* * *

Kat herded the hobbits out of the hills as they followed Aragorn towards Lothlórien. She stumbled and was about to face plant into the rocks when a strong arm circled her waist.

"Alright there?" Boromir asked quietly.

She nodded, "Mm. Just tired…"

"You should rest."

"I'll sleep when I'm dead," she shrugged, her voice hoarse. Kat patted his arm lightly, "I'm fine, Mir."

Boromir's eyebrows rose at the shortening of his name, "You should rest."

"Damn it, Mir, I'm fine!"

He put his hands up in a surrendering position, hoping to put her rising temper at ease, "Alright, alright… you're fine."

"Kat!" Aragorn's voice had her whirling around and nearly losing her footing again. "Kat!"

"By the Mother…" she pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down, "I'm coming!"


	8. Chapter 8

At the sight of the green-gold woods in the distance, all of them had a spurt of energy and jogged across a grassy field, halting under the eaves of the forest made of tall and shapely trees. Lichen and soft moss covered them as golden leaves twirled down to the ground.

Kat let out a quiet sigh of relief as she walked next to Boromir. The air here felt familiar, warmer than Moria or the mountains, it felt like Rivendell, like Atlantis. They walked single file and she could feel Boromir behind her, uneasy, she reached back to squeeze his forearm reassuringly. He slid his arm from her grasp and to her surprise, her heart started to sink until she felt his hand encircle hers and squeeze back. Kat bit the inside of her cheek, confused about… practically everything when it came to Boromir. She knew she was physically attracted to him, that he had become a close… ally? _friend_? during their journey, but the emotional attachment startled her… scared her even.

A bow with an arrow notched and ready to fire in her face startled Kat out of her inner turmoil and she subconsciously tightened her grip on Boromir's hand. A tall, flaxen-haired elf appeared. "The dwarf breathes so loud, we could have shot him in the dark." Gimli growled, but said nothing as the elves led them to an encampment nearby. Boromir motioned for her to go first up the ladder when it was clear they were going to be staying up on a platform high up in the foliage. Kat pulled herself up rung-by-rung, weariness seeping into her muscles and what felt like her bones. They were all standing on the platform when the flaxen-haired elf greeted them.

"What is he saying?" Boromir asked her quietly.

"He's greeting Legolas, he being Haldir of Lórien," she whispered back, night deepening in the forest surrounding them. "Now he's greeting Aragorn."

"_Lady Kathryn Lattimer of Lantea_," Haldir placed his hand over his heart and bowed respectfully as he had to the others while speaking to her in elvish. "_You are known to us as well._"

"_Haldir_," she responded in the same way. "_It is an honor to finally put a face to the person Aragorn has told me so much about._"

"So much for the legendary courtesy of the Elves! Speak words we can also understand!" Gimli huffed.

Haldir eyed him shrewdly; "We have not had dealings with the Dwarves since the Dark Days."

"And you know what this dwarf says to that? _Ishkaqwi ai durugnul!_"

Kat's cheeks turned pink while Aragorn turned to Gimli, "_That_… was not so courteous." Gimli wasn't fazed in the slightest.

"Dare I ask?" Boromir whispered.

"No," she shook her head, appalled that Gimli would even say such a thing.

"You bring great evil with you…" Haldir said after looking over at Frodo. He turned to Aragorn, "You can go no further."

They settled in what looked like to be a long argument as Aragorn tried to bargain with Haldir. Frodo kept his eyes down, feeling the dislike of the Fellowship radiating from all of them. This was his fault; all of it was… the Ring, the journey, Gandalf…

"Gandalf's death was not in vain…" Boromir's quiet statement broke through his thoughts and Frodo looked up to see the man gazing steadily at him. "Nor would he have you give up hope. You carry a heavy burden, Frodo… do not carry the weight of the dead." Frodo saw Boromir glance back at the quiet form of Kat. She was leaning up against the same tree as Boromir, her head dropping to the side to rest on the back of his shoulder while she dozed. A fond smile crossed the warrior's face while Frodo pondered what the man said.

Haldir appeared above them, looking less than happy, "You will follow me."

Boromir smiled at Frodo and turned to shake Kat awake, "Kathryn." She jumped and whipped out her knife as a force of habit, "Whoa, Katie!"

Kat blinked the sleep out of her eyes, "Oh gods, sorry!" She sheathed the knife, "Habit."

Boromir stood and helped her to her feet, "We're going, and I figured you would like to be awake."

"Thank you," she smiled at him and squeezed his hands. The caravan of elves led the Fellowship through the golden woods. Boromir glanced behind him to check on Frodo and Kat as well. They journeyed for a couple of days until they came to the end of a high ridge. Below them, behind the mists and under sunset, a great glade of trees rose above the world, green and gold with rays of dying sunlight shining through the branches.

"Caras Galadhon… the heart of Elvendom on earth. Realm of Lord Celeborn and of Galadriel, Lady of Light," Haldir smiled. They arrived at Caras Galadhon, climbing a winding path amongst the gigantic trees as the last rays of the evening sun streamed through their trunks. Night fell as they journeyed from the outskirts of the city to the heart. In the blue glow of the moonlight, the Fellowship climbed a spiral stair twined around the trunk of a tree (_"Elves and their stairs," Kat had muttered upon seeing them_), lights glimmering silver and blue around them. They passed many platforms until they come to a great palace in the trees lit by silvery lights. Following the curving walkway in front of them, they gathered before an archway, golden three-pronged leaves littering the silver-white floor.

A bright glow drew their attention to the stairs in front of them. A lord and lady descended hand in hand to meet the Fellowship. Most of them stared in awe, Aragorn and Kat reached up to touch their foreheads reverently in greeting. The light dimmed and Galadriel and Celeborn halted before them.

"The enemy knows you have entered here. What hope you had in secrecy is now gone," Celeborn stated evenly. "Nine there are here, yet ten there were set out from Rivendell. Tell me, where is Gandalf?" Galadriel's eyes flicked over to Aragorn and he looked up while Celeborn continued to speak. "I much desire to speak with him and I can no longer see him from afar."

Galadriel read the answer in Aragorn's weary grey eyes, "Gandalf the Grey did not pass the borders of this land… he has fallen into shadow." Aragorn nodded slightly.

"He was taken by both Shadow and Flame: a Balrog of Morgoth," Legolas elaborated, "for we went needlessly into the net of Moria."

"Needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf in life. We do not yet know his whole purpose. Do not let the great emptiness of Khazad-dûm fill your heart, Gimli, son of Glóin." Gimli looked up at her and she continued to speak, "For the world has grown full of peril, and in all lands, love… is now mingled with grief."

Kat looked over at Boromir when she felt him start to shake. She slipped her hand into his, tightening her grip for a fraction of a second before letting go. His hand tightened around her fingers before her hand could slip away and refused to let go, sending an unfamiliar jolt through her stomach and shivers up her spine as his grey eyes met her blue ones.

"What now becomes of this Fellowship? Without Gandalf, hope is lost." Celeborn stated almost morosely.

"The quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail…to the ruin of all," Galadriel nodded, but a smile grew on her face, "Yet hope remains while the company is true. Do not let your hearts be troubled… Go now and rest, for you are weary with sorrow and much toil. Tonight, you will sleep in peace."

* * *

Kat nearly vowed she would never get out of this bath when she sunk down into the pool of hot water with a contented sigh. She got her own heated pool since she was the only female of the group. The hot, nearly scalding water reached her chin and she basked in the warmth and could almost physically feel the dirt and grime lifting up off of her body.

"My lady," soft voices made her crack one of her eyes open. A pair of female elves waiting by the opposite edge of the pool, "Lady Galadriel sent us to aid you."

Kat sat up and scooted over to them. She smiled her thanks as they gave her a cloth to gently wash the blood off of her face and neck. Standing up in the pool, Kat took the offered drying cloth, stepped out of the pool, and dried herself off, feeling better than she had in a month. After she slipped into her small clothes, they unpinned her long braid from around her head. Her hair was stiff and dry from the weeks on the road and the dirt and sweat being gathered and built up. She stood in front of a pedestal that had a large basin on top and unbraided her hair before bending over the basin and allowed the elf maidens to gently wet it with a nearby silver pitcher. She slowly scrubbed out all the grime and wrung it out when she was done.

She paused in wringing out her hair again, had it really only been a month since they left Rivendell? It had felt longer… Kat shrugged and slipped on the pale blue dress Lady Galadriel had provided for her over her small clothes. The elves left her while she brushed out her hair, letting her magic heat her fingers so it dried in her natural curls.

The grief of losing Gandalf still weighed heavy on her heart, but so did other emotions, all leading back to Boromir. She knew Aragorn did not fully trust the man, not with how he acted around the Ring, but Kat couldn't help the feelings she had for him. They confused her and frightened her; she hadn't felt like this towards… well, anyone for as long as she had lived.

She looked into her mirror to examine her face, the contusion from the Gate Keeper was finally fading, but the cut on her forehead had mottled blue and green bruising around it. With a sigh, she used the last bit of her magic to heal the cut partially and applied bruise balm to the rest of her injuries; anything else would have to wait until she was done recuperating.

Kat followed the tether she had on Aragorn to find the rest of the Fellowship. The grass was cool beneath her bare feet, '_Of course it's cool, Kathryn, it's January_.' She shook her head briskly to shut her inner voice up and appeared on the edge of their campsite just as Merry asked what the elves were saying about Gandalf in their lament.

"I have not the heart to tell you, for me the grief is still too near," Legolas responded.

"'_Olórin who once was… sent by the Lords of the West to guard the Lands of the East…_'" Kat translated for him, lifting her skirts and stepping down into the campsite. "'_Our love for this land is deeper than the deeps of the sea… Wisest of all Maiar, what drove you to leave that which you loved? Yet we will cast all away rather than submit what should be shall be…_'"

They whirled around, varying degrees of surprise on their faces at her in a dress and with her hair down, and Kat had to smile. Sam crouched down to make his bed, "While that's nice, I bet they don't mention his fireworks. There should be a verse about them." After a moment, he stood. "_The finest rockets ever seen, they burst in stars of blue and green…_"

Kat could hear Gimli snoring and Aragorn swatted at the dwarf while Sam continued, "_Or after thunder… silver showers… came falling like a… rain of flowers…_" he squatted down again, "Oh, that doesn't do them justice by a long road…"

She gently ruffled his curls, "I think it did, Sam… I loved his fireworks too." The hobbit smiled at her in response. She saw Aragorn get up from his resting spot and walk over to Boromir, who was seated alone on a white tree root. Kat followed him at a distance, her steps whispering across the grass, skirts trailing behind her as the rest of the Fellowship settled down for the night. A fountain gurgled when she walked past, the statues of it dancing, forever captured in stone while lights twinkled in the distance and the lament for Gandalf continued.

"Take some rest," she heard Aragorn say, "These borders are well protected."

"I will find no rest here…" Boromir shook his head, "I heard her voice inside my head. She spoke of my father and the fall of Gondor…" Kat had never heard this much fear from Boromir before, but she_ had_ only known him for about four months. "She said to me, '_Even now, there is hope left_.' But I cannot see it. It is long since we had any hope." Aragorn came and sat down next to Boromir. "My father is a noble man, but his rule is failing and our… our people lose faith. He looks to me to make things right and I-I would do it. I would see the glory of Gondor restored." He sighed, "Have you ever seen it, Aragorn? The White Tower of Ecthelion, glimmering like a spike of pearl and silver. Its banners caught high in the morning breeze. Have you ever been called home by the clear ringing of silver trumpets?"

"I have seen the White City, long ago."

Boromir turned to Aragorn, warmth brightening his face at the thought of his city, "One day, our paths will lead us there. And the tower guard shall take up the call: _The Lords of Gondor have returned!_"

Aragorn nodded, he clapped a hand on Boromir's shoulder before getting up, momentarily freezing when he saw Kat behind them. She looked over at Boromir and then back to him, nodding, "_I will take care of him, brother_," she told him in elvish.

"_I would try to tell you what to do, but I trust you know what you are getting into_," he responded, having seen their interactions over the past few months. He smiled when she punched him on the arm, "_Try not to stay out too late, we all need our rest._"

"_I'll pretend you didn't say that. Go, I've got this_." Kat shooed him away. He watched as she walked over to Boromir, wordlessly offering her hand to him. Boromir looked up, saw the hand and silently took it. Kat led him away from the campsite; Aragorn watched them go before turning back to the others, happy to finally get some rest.

* * *

"Where are you taking me?" Boromir asked when they had gone away from the campsite.

"A place we can talk, just the two of us," she smiled at him over her shoulder. This was the first time he had seen her in a dress since Rivendell and Boromir had no clue her hair was actually that long, easily reaching her waist, the curls spilling over her shoulders and bouncing slightly with each step.

"Why?"

"You look like you need to talk to someone, I thought you should do it where no one could overhear."

Boromir nodded and thought back to those dark thoughts that had been rolling through his mind before Aragorn talked to him. '_You will betray them_.' His inner voice told him time and time again, and yet the Lady of Light had seen right through all of it and told him there was hope still yet for his city… for his people… for him. '_Look no further than the person beside you, Boromir of Gondor_.' Galadriel's words echoed in his mind. Right after that, Kat had slipped her hand into his.

He did not know if she had any emotional attachment to him, or whether or not Kat felt the same way he did about her. Boromir had caught some of the lingering glances, felt her shy touches on his arm when she was getting his attention, and relished in any conversation they had. Kat was a fiercely independent woman, of that he was most certainly sure. Their passionate embrace in Rivendell had sparked a flame that only grew with more time spent in her presence. He had fallen fast and hard for her and he could only hope she felt the same way.

Kat's sapphire blue eyes were warm as she stopped in the middle of a clearing. Her pale skin shone in the moonlight and without any ceremony, she gracefully flopped down onto the ground. She patted the ground next to her, "Come sit with me." Boromir eased his body down next to hers while she lay fully down on the plush grass. "You never ask about my family," she said after a while.

"You never ask about mine."

"Cheeky," she smiled. "I was adopted… my birth mother gave me up for my own protection."

"Did you ever find her?"

Kat nodded, smaller leaves and bits of grass starting to tangle in her hair, "Years later. My adopted father was wonderful though. I have no clue whether or not Uncle Robert's alive even. My mother played an active role in my childhood for many years."

"When did you find your mother?"

"Hm… about four years before I went to Atlantis," Kat mused and then chuckled at a bygone memory. "She actually saved my ass, now that I think about it."

"Saved you from what?"

"A great big hairy nuisance of a cat, called a Nundu, because of that ghoul, I got these scars," she traced the white scars on the right side of her neck and shoulder that trailed across her collarbone and part of her sternum. "Snuck up on me and slashed me here and on my side." Kat motioned to her left side. "Mum and Ashley, my other sister, saved me."

"They sound fiercely independent, just like you," Boromir chuckled when she childishly stuck out her tongue at him. "I did not know my mother too well, she died when I was ten… weakened by Faramir's birth. Father never recovered, but Faramir and I were thick as thieves growing up… still are, actually."

"I'm glad you have him, he sounds like a wonderful sibling to have," Kat reached out and squeezed his forearm.

He put his hand on top of hers before she could retreat, "Kathryn…" He seemed to be trying to find the words to say something

"You called me Katie," she blurted out before she could stop herself, her cheeks reddening in embarrassment. "Before, I mean."

"I did… you called me Mir."

"I-I did," Kat stammered. "It just…sort of came out… I-I was tired, irritable… made sense at the time and I-"

Boromir chuckled, "Katie, relax. I like it… never had anyone call me by a nickname before."

She smiled up at him as he shifted to prop himself up with his right elbow, "I like being called Katie, then, and I've had every nickname under the sun."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really," Kat giggled. "Kit, Kat, Kit-Kat… it's a sweet back on Earth," she explained. "Henry, Mum's ward and practically a brother to me and Ashley, liked to call me 'Mini-Magnus' since I'm so like her, and Monkey."

He burst out laughing at the last one, "Why monkey?"

"I can climb well and I like to go to high places to think," she grinned and it slowly faded away. "You know, I actually hated my mother for a while."

"Are you always this random at night?"

Kat swatted at his chest in annoyance, "I'm trying to tell you something, hush. I hated Mum for two years."

"What changed?"

"The attack," Kat bit her lower lip, Boromir had noticed she did that when thinking or when she was worried. "I… I was attacked by a couple of people one late night walking home, mugged. They nearly killed me they beat me so hard. Through the whole ordeal, I didn't care what happened, all I knew is that I wanted my mother… so I stopped hating her for her past choices and accepted her. We had two wonderful years together before I left for Atlantis… now I'll never know if I'll ever see her again."

"I believe you will, Katie," he reached down and gently stroked her cheek, wiping away the silent tears, his fingers trailing along her jaw. Kat looked up into his eyes and saw the same warmth she had seen in Daniel's eyes whenever he looked at Janet or Aragorn when he saw Arwen, but this time though it didn't scare her. She shivered when his fingertips skimmed the skin of her neck before reaching around to cup the back of her head, pulling her towards him, their lips meeting in a gentle kiss so unlike their first one, yet so much more.

She hummed slightly into it, slowly drawing back only to kiss him again. Boromir gathered her up in his arms, both of them lying on their sides. He could feel the warmth of Kat's hand on his chest, near where his heart was and knew she could feel it racing. Kat rested her forehead against his when they parted for a breath, "Mir?"

"Yes?"

"I know this is a little soon, I mean, we've barely known each other for four months, but…"

"But…?"

She took a deep breath and leaned back to look him squarely in the eyes, "I love you, Mir."

He smiled widely, gently brushing his lips against hers, "I know, Katie… and I love you too."

Kat grinned and kissed him again before tucking her head underneath his chin, her legs tangling with his. Boromir tightened his arms around her, feeling the silky strands of her curls tangle in his fingers. They couldn't stay here all night, they needed to return to camp and actually get some rest, but for right now they could bask in the warmth of each other and declared feelings.


	9. Chapter 9

_smut scene ahead! enjoy!_

* * *

"Where are you going?" Boromir's voice startled Kat. So much for sneaking out unnoticed.

She turned to face Boromir, the two of them had returned to camp long after everyone else had settled in for the night, and he could see the weariness in her eyes in the light of the early dawn, "I... I need to be alone for awhile, Mir."

"For what reason?"

Kat sighed and stepped closer to where he was lying propped up on his elbows. She sat down next to him, her legs tucked underneath her, "It's just the way I am. When something happens, when something big happens, I need... I need time to process it."

"You mean Gandalf?"

She nodded, tears gathering in her eyes, "He... he was like a grandfather to me while I was growing up, Mir. I even called him _noatar, _grandfather, at times to tease him," a strained smile crossed her face. "He taught me magic and languages... I need to accept this and I need to do it alone."

"Alright," he said softly. "I'll be here if you need anything."

With a smile, Kat leaned forward and gently brushed her lips with his, "Thank you, Mir." Her dress whispered as she stood and he could barely hear her leave the encampment as she flitted away into the tall trees around them.

* * *

Sam caught the flash of fabric in the corner of his eye and he jumped slightly at the touch on his shoulder. Turning around, he relaxed when he saw it was Kat, "Sorry, Lady Kat, you startled me."

The woman smiled warmly, "I'm sorry to have done that, Sam."

"Was there something you needed?"

"I seem to remember you liked plants and growing things, correct?"

"Yes, m'lady."

"Come with me," Sam took the offered hand to help him stand and walked next to Kat while she guided him with a hand on his back.

"Where are we going?" He asked after a few minutes of walking the paths of Lothlórien in silence.

"I want to show you something, have patience," Kat smiled and he had to smile back. "Here we are," she nodded to the clearing they just walked into.

"What is it?"

"This, Sam, is where the Lórien elves grow all of their herbs, medicinal or otherwise, and today they're letting us explore as well as let me restock."

"Really?"

"Yes, really," she nodded while laughing lightly. Kat guided Sam around the gardens, answering all of his questions about the various plants while the woman restocked her supply of herbs. The hobbit's enthusiasm made Kat grin.

"Do you garden, Lady Kat?" He asked her as they walked back to the encampment.

"No, not really," She shook her head. "I was absorbed in my studies growing up, although I did have a class on herbology, I didn't really garden until Rivendell. I had to learn more of the herbs I needed for healing, so Lord Elrond had me start a garden."

"I love gardening."

"I can tell," Kat smiled down at him.

* * *

"_Lady Kathryn_," Kat jumped slightly at the cool voice in her head and looked up to see the Lady of Light standing near the edge of their camp. "_Walk with me, young one_."

Kat nodded and put aside her sharpening tools and sword, waving off Boromir's concerned look with a smile as she joined the elven lady. They wandered the paths of Lothlórien in a companionable silence, only the sounds of nature and the whispering of their skirts disturbed the calm.

"Have you always had these dreams, Kathryn?" Galadriel finally asked, her voice low and melodious.

Kat looked over at the other woman, her sapphire blue meeting the star blue of Galadriel's for a few moments before the younger woman answered, "In a way, yes. When I was on Earth or in Atlantis it was more of a feeling that I'd wake up with rather than a dream. It was only when I arrived in Middle Earth that I would remember the dreams. Are they telling me the future, Lady Galadriel?"

"A future, one of many possibilities, young Kathryn. I sense you have trouble deciphering them."

"I do," Kat nodded. "They're muddled, confusing, and I keep seeing the same faces over and over again with no real sense of what's going on."

"I can help you, Lady Kathryn, should you wish," Galadriel laid a gentle hand on Kat's shoulder. "We must work while we can, your company cannot linger here after you all recover."

"Thank you, Lady Galadriel," Kat smiled gratefully. "Anything to make sense of what's going on and I'm a quick learner," she grinned.

The Lady of Light laughed gaily, her starlike eyes sparkling in the warm sunlight, "My dear Elrond was right of your personality, young one." Galadriel gently tilted Kat's chin up when she ducked her head, "I know you long to see him and Rivendell again, Kathryn, and you shall should your quest be fulfilled. He would not want your thoughts dwelling behind you."

"Yes, my lady."

"There is another matter I wish to discuss with you."

"Of course," Kat nodded as they started walking again.

"The man of Gondor, Captain of the White Tower..."

"Boromir?"

"Yes," Galadriel nodded, "you have developed feelings for him, have you not?" A knowing smile spread across the elf's face at the sudden red flush on Kat's cheeks and ears.

"I have," Kat answered quietly.

"Even though he has shown susceptibility to the Ring?"

"Yes. All he wants is to help his people, my lady, to help his kingdom. His father has obviously suggested to him that the Ring could be used to help Gondor, Boromir has come to learn that the Ring is altogether evil. I love him, all of him, the good and bad, the strengths and weaknesses. Just as he loves me and I will not apologize for that."

"I was not asking you to, Kathryn."

The flush returned, this time in embarrassment, "I apologize, Lady Galadriel."

"Never be sorry for your thoughts and opinions, Kathryn, they deserve to be voiced and heard. I was merely going to extend my blessing of you and Captain Boromir."

The blessing surprised Kat, but she smiled nonetheless, "Thank you."

The elf smiled back, "Now, let us work on clearing up what you dream." She led Kathryn to her mirror and the teachings began.

* * *

Boromir smiled when he felt Kat's hand slip into his while they walked the woods of Lothlórien together a week into their stay with the elves. Her slender fingers entwined with his and he felt her shift closer. Without a word, Boromir lifted her hand to his mouth and gently kissed the back of it. Kat giggled slightly and he smiled, turning to her only to find that she was inches away from his face. She capitalized on his shock and kissed him sweetly. He was about to return the kiss when she slipped from his grasp and dashed away, her laughter echoing around the clearing that was quickly becoming theirs in the golden wood.

She looked over her shoulder at him with a teasing glance and Boromir grinned. He chased after her and she led him around the clearing, letting him come near and then slipping away at the last minute until he paused for a breath against a tree, "I give up!"

"Aw… where's the fun in that?"

"You're a faster runner than I am," Boromir leaned with his back against the tree as Kat stepped closer. "Personally I think you're getting enjoyment from this."

"Of course I am," she smiled and leaned up against him, her arms coming to snake around his neck as she gently kissed him. Boromir wrapped his arms around her waist as he deepened the kiss. Kat drew back, cheeks flushed, and cuddled into his shoulder, "Tell me about Minas Tirith again… please?"

"Of course," he kissed the top of her head and rested his cheek there. "The white city is gorgeous, especially at dawn when the sun comes up in the east and paints the city gold and makes any metal glimmer while the city slowly wakes up…"

* * *

Kat watched as Boromir continued to train the young hobbits during their time of rest in the golden wood. Frodo, injured from being speared by the cave troll, wouldn't have been able to actively move for well over a week, so the Fellowship stayed in Lothlórien through the end of January and into February. Merry and Pippin had greatly improved in their swordsmanship over the weeks, and Sam was blossoming under Boromir's tutelage. Frodo was learning how to hold the sword correctly under Aragorn's guidance nearby.

She had come at the tail end of their practice, having meditated enough with Lady Galadriel to bring her magic back under control as well as to replenish it fully. The men decided that was enough for the hobbits for one day and sent them on their way, Aragorn nodding to Kat on the way out, leaving her alone with Boromir.

"Walk with me?" she asked after he had put away his weapon. Boromir looked up and saw her standing in middle of the clearing, her hair loosely braided and an ethereal off the shoulder green gown with her hand outstretched towards his. He took her hand and pulled her towards him, his lips crashing into hers in a deep kiss. Kat made a muffled noise of delighted surprise as she wound her arms around his neck, his arms around her waist.

Boromir drew back in order to breathe and took in Kat's flushed cheeks and darkened eyes. He kissed her once more, not caring if anyone saw them. Kat trailed her hands down his arms and grasped his hands, breaking the kiss to pull him out of the open clearing and further into the woods. He followed her willingly, the golden sunlight glinting off of her hair, curls already working loose from her braid. She pulled him behind a secluded tree and into another kiss. Boromir rested his hands on her hips while they leaned against the tree; their world reduced to just the two of them.

The leather of Boromir's outer tunic was cool and smooth beneath her hands as Kat rested her hands on his chest. She gasped when he moved from kissing her lips to gently kissing her neck and she started pulling at the clasps to the garment.

"Katie?" Boromir drew back and Kat had to admire his restraint. It was obvious he wanted her, she could feel him trembling beneath her hands, and she wanted him.

Kat nodded, "I'm sure, Mir." She seized his lips in a firm kiss, relaying to him again that she wanted this and it was going to happen now. His hands fisted in the fabric of her dress, pulling it up as she opened his outer tunic, shoving it off of his shoulders, loosening his belt, and worked the ties of his breeches. Kat shivered at the feel of his hands on her bare thighs, lowering her small clothes down, dropping them to the ground. She let out a slight squeak of surprise when he deftly lifted her up off the ground and pinned her against the tree, causing her to wrap one of her legs around his waist, the toes of the other barely touching the ground for balance. "Oh gods…" she gasped out when he lowered her down and slowly entered her. Boromir groaned into the crook of her neck and shoulder, she could feel the bark of the tree scrape against her back as he gently rocked into her.

Kat dropped her head back against the tree with a faint thunk as Boromir continued to ravage her neck and shoulder with kisses and bites while picking up the pace. Sweat broke out on her forehead as she moved her hips in counter rhythm to his. She gripped his shoulders tightly; Boromir's grip on her hips would surely leave bruises, but she didn't care. Anyone could discover them, but frankly she didn't give a damn, especially when Boromir kissed her the way he was doing now. Boromir felt Kat shudder and moan into the kiss. The sharp bite of her nails into the back of his neck and scalp sent him over the edge and he rested against her while they caught their breath.

"Good?" he asked quietly, setting her back down fully on the ground, her dress dropping back down to pool around her feet. Kat nodded, gently kissing him before both of them fixed their clothes. "I can't believe…"

"That we just did that against a tree?" she giggled and he kissed her again. "Certainly don't regret it, though."

"Me either," Boromir chuckled when he got a look at her neck.

"What?" She asked, subconsciously bringing her hands up to cover her neck.

"You've got marks."

Kat looked at him strangely until it dawned on her and she hit him on the chest, her cheeks bright red, "Damnit, Mir, do you know how hard it is to find a high-necked dress?"

"You weren't complaining about them earlier, Katie."

"That was before I realized they were there!"

"I'm sure you can find something."

"Hm…" she narrowed her eyes at him before hastily unbraiding her hair and pulling it over her shoulder, hoping to hide the darkening bites on her neck and shoulder. "Ouch!"

"What, what is it?" Boromir looked concern and when he touched her shoulders, Kat winced, "did I hurt you?"

"No, no, I don't think so, what do you see?" She asked as she turned away from him, pulling her hair over her shoulder for him to look at her back.

Her pale skin was marred by red abrasions and he gently traced the sensitive skin around them, "Maybe we shouldn't have done it against a tree."

"Does it look bad?"

"No, not really."

Kat turned around and smiled, "Good. A minor annoyance then."

"You have an interesting humor, Katie," Boromir chuckled and pulled Kat into his arms.

She slipped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his shoulder, "Get used to it."

"I intend to."


	10. Chapter 10

Aragorn woke early on the morning of February 16th, Frodo had recovered well enough that they could leave the sanctuary of the golden wood and continue on their journey to Mount Doom. Celeborn was being gracious enough to give them boats to row down the river swiftly, hoping to speed their travel as well as keep them from being followed over the water. He looked around at the still sleeping Fellowship, his eyebrows rising when he saw Boromir's arm slung across Kat's waist while she snuggled into his chest as they slept. While the hold the Ring had over Boromir troubled him deeply, Aragorn was happy for both of them. Maybe Kat's influence would help him.

Kat helped Boromir and Legolas prepare for their departure. She balanced in one of the boats while Boromir handed her parcels to pack.

"Lembas!" Legolas smiled, taking out a piece of the bread. "Elvish way-bread…" he explained to Merry and Pippin, "One small bite is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man."

"How many did you eat, Pip?" Merry asked his cousin.

"Four," Pippin replied and Kat snorted in laughter when he burped loudly. They finished packing the three boats and herded the cousins further inland, as Lady Galadriel wanted to say farewell.

Cloaks were fastened around their necks, grayish-green with green silver-veined leaf brooches. "Never before have we clad strangers in the garb of our own people. May these cloaks help shield you from unfriendly eyes." Celeborn stated after giving them the cloaks and they all inclined their heads in respect.

The Fellowship waited as Galadriel handed out individual gifts to each one of them. "My gift for you, Legolas, is a bow of the Galadhrim, worthy of the skill of our woodland kin." Legolas tested the bow, awe evident in his eyes. Galadriel turned to Merry and Pippin, "These are the daggers of the Noldorin, they have already seen service in war. Do not fear, young Peregrin Took. You will find your courage. And for you, Samwise Gamgee: elven rope made of hithlain."

"Thank you, my lady," he responded and looked over at the blades held by Merry and Pippin, looking back up at Galadriel hopefully, "Have you run out of those nice, shiny daggers?"

The Lady of Light smiled and strode to the next Fellowship member in line: Gimli. He dared not look up as she spoke, "And what gift would a dwarf ask of the elves?"

He grunted, "Nothing… except to look upon the Lady of the Galadhrim one last time… for she is more fair than all the jewels beneath the earth." Galadriel giggled and Gimli turned to walk away, only to halt and turn back, "Actually, there was one thing… ah… that's quite impossible, stupid to ask…"

Kat had to smile widely when Galadriel gave the smitten dwarf three strands of her golden hair instead of the one he asked for. The Lady of the Golden Wood approached her next, "Lady Kathryn Lattimer of Lantea… to you I give a tool to help further your magical abilities." Kat's eyes widened when she saw the brilliant oval-shaped orange, blue, and violet colored opal pendant about the size of her thumbnail hanging from a long golden chain. "This is a Dragon Fire opal, the only stronger kind as I am sure you know are black opals. Use it well, Kathryn, and do not give up hope of seeing those you care about again."

"Thank you, my lady," Kat responded as Galadriel hung the chain around her neck. The elven lady gently cupped her cheek and gave Kat a warm, motherly smile that Kat returned before Galadriel moved on. Galadriel gave Boromir a belt made in the image of golden Lórien leaves and held a long conversation with Aragorn before giving Frodo the light of Earendil and kissed the Ring-Bearer on the forehead.

They bowed respectfully to Galadriel as she left them. Kat noticed Celeborn gesture to Aragorn while she followed the rest of the group to the boats. Boromir helped Merry and Pippin into the boat before physically lifting Kat off the dock and into the boat, much to her protest that she could climb into a boat by herself. Aragorn joined them shortly and the Fellowship quietly rowed out of the misty Lothlórien and onto the River Anduin.

They traveled on the river for many days, stopping at night on islands or hidden inlets for the most safety. Kat sucked in a quick breath as she waded further into the cold waters of the Anduin. She had stripped down to her breast band and loincloth, her clothes draped over a rock on the shore, the sun was starting to set and it cast a golden-red glow over the river. Kat shivered at the temperature of the water, but it felt good to wash off some of the grime, and smell, of the last few days. Resisting the urge to dip her head below the deceptively calm surface of the river, she splashed water onto her face before using her fingers to examine the back of her shoulders through touch to see how the abrasions were healing, some had been a bit deeper than she realized. The memory of how she got those abrasions inflamed her cheeks and her body warmed in response.

"Katie?" Boromir's voice startled her and she slipped beneath the water up to her neck as an automatic response.

"What is it, Mir?" she asked, not facing him, not while her cheeks were this red. She could feel them burning.

He chuckled, "Just enjoying the view."

"Flirt," she retorted.

Boromir continued to chuckle, Kat looked over her shoulder to see him sit down on the rock next to her clothes, "Why are you hiding?"

She blushed again, this time from embarrassment, "Force of habit."

"That water has to be freezing, Katie."

"A bit," she shrugged and smiled at him. He picked up her cloak and stood with it held open, clearly indicating that she should get out of the water and dry off. Kat chuckled and stood, water running in rivulets down her body as she waded out of the Anduin. Boromir wrapped the cloak around her, the fabric warm as it scratched against her body. She jumped when his fingers traced the claw mark scars on her torso, "Nundu, remember?"

"I do," he replied. She pulled the cloak tighter around her and leaned into his warmth. "Katie?"

"Yeah, Mir?"

"Love you."

Kat lifted her head and smiled up at him, "Love you too, Mir." He bent down and they shared a loving kiss. "Though I am surprised at your restraint at the moment," she quipped when it was over.

Boromir grinned, "I wouldn't want to reopen your battle wounds." Kat snorted and kissed him again, feeling him slowly lead her towards the trees on the bank and she smiled against his lips.

* * *

The nights were cold, quieter since they left the calmness and safety of the golden wood behind. All of them slept fitfully, Boromir had woken her several times from nightmares, gently wiping away the tears and trying to soothe each other into a more restful sleep. Right now, however, she could hear Boromir and Aragorn arguing about going towards Minas Tirith, Kat sighed and pulled her cloak tighter around herself trying to will herself to sleep.

Boromir was quieter than he usually was the next day. She saw Aragorn lean forward to tap Frodo on the shoulder out of the corner of her eye and she looked up to see two majestic statues carved right out of the rock proudly stood on each side of the Anduin. Their left arms were held aloft, palms facing outwards in a gesture of warning. Solemn and stern were their faces, silent wardens of the vanished and ancient borders to the kingdom of Gondor.

"What are they?" Pippin asked.

"The Argonath," Kat answered with a smile. "The kings of old…"

"Impressive," Pippin's statement made her grin as they sailed past the statues and towards a great, thundering waterfall. They disembarked on a gravel beach, Kat watched Boromir during making camp, he seemed incredibly troubled about something and wouldn't speak to her.

"We cross the lake at nightfall, hide the boats and continue on foot. We approach Mordor from the north." Aragorn told them while they unpacked some of their supplies.

"Oh yes?" Gimli looked at him through narrowed eyes. "It's just a simple matter of finding our way through Emyn Muil? An impassable labyrinth of razor sharp rocks! And after that, it gets even better! Festering, stinking marshlands, far as the eye can see!"

"That is our road. I suggest you take some rest and recover your strength, Master Dwarf," Kat unsuccessfully hid her laughter in a cough after Aragorn's response. Gimli was still grumbling when Merry returned with some wood for the campfire.

"Where's Frodo?" he asked and they all looked around. Kat looked over at Aragorn and noticed he was staring at Boromir's shield lying with his baggage. It was then that she realized Boromir was gone too and the bottom dropped out of her stomach.

"We have to find him, everyone searches," Aragorn went off on his own, Kat paired up with Legolas and Gimli.

They scoured the wilderness, occasionally calling out Frodo's name. Legolas stopped short, nearly causing Kat to run into his back, "What is it, Legolas?"

"Fighting… there's a battle going on."

"Where?" She asked, drawing her sword.

"North of here, towards the hill."

"Let's go!" The three of them ran as fast as they could towards the sound of swords clashing and clanging in the distance. They passed beneath a ruin on the top of the hill and came face to face with… orcs? These beasts were a different breed of orc, Kat observed as she fought them again and again. Larger, stronger, and most importantly, able to walk, run, and fight in the sun. They raced down the tumbling hills, hurrying to cut off these dark beasts from gaining on Frodo wherever he might be.

Kat ducked under the iron blade aiming for her head and slashed open one of the strange orcs, now realizing that these were the Uruk-hai Gandalf had told them about in Rivendell weeks ago. She whirled around and threw her knife at another coming up behind Gimli on the battlefield, using her magic to summon the blade back. Sweat mingled with the dark blood splattering on her face. The low, bellowing sound of a horn pierced the air, momentarily freezing them all.

"The Horn of Gondor," Legolas stated.

"Boromir!" Aragorn shouted and led them down the hill, battling as they went.

"No!" Kat screamed when she saw the leader of the horde standing in front of a wounded Boromir, brought to his knees by many arrows, with an arrow drawn for a kill shot. She and Aragorn charged towards them, Aragorn going for the leader, Kat going for Boromir.

As Aragorn drew the leader away, Kat sheathed her sword and threw up a quick shield to protect them just as Boromir collapsed onto his back, his body weakening every second. He was incredibly pale, too pale for her liking. "Boromir… Mir, I'm here… I'm here," she eased him into a more comfortable position so she could catalogue his injuries better.

"Katie… 'sno use…"

"_Don't_ talk like that, Mir, just don't."

"Katie-"

"Mir," she put her hand over his mouth, "shut up and let me heal you." She took in the deeply buried arrows in his body, where they were, and seeing how difficult it was for Boromir to breathe. Her magic was nearly down to her reserves, there was no way she'd be able to heal him completely on her own. Biting her lip, Kat gathered a few branches and magically started a fire. Reaching into her belt purse, she pulled out a small bundle of herbs she had hoped she never had to use. The packet contained vervain, something Alanna had taught her about many years ago, but warned her that it was dangerous to get involved in and should only be used in the utmost emergency. Hearing Boromir's choked, stuttered breathing, Kat nodded to herself before tossing the brittle leaves into the waiting fire.

Boromir watched as Kat whispered words he couldn't hear and stick her hands into the flames after they had turned sky blue, the same color as Kat's magic. Her deep, meditative breathing calmed him and then he heard her speak again, "_Dark Goddess, Great Mother, show me the way. Open the gates to me. Guide me, Mother of mountains and mares_." The fire roared up with the sound of thunder and Kat's body jerked. The opal at her throat glowed in red, blue, and purple and he watched the sky blue fire completely fill Kat's irises. Her body jerked again and her magic began to glow around her entire body. It was all so bright, Boromir turned his head to the side and closed his eyes against the light.

He felt her grasp both of his hands in hers, "Mir…" she called softly, "open your eyes for me, darling." He followed her order and stared into her shining eyes.

Kat fell into the darkening grey depths of Boromir's eyes, down into a deep, black, twisting, writhing well. Screams and shrieks echoed around her, she was in a place that existed between Life and Death. "Mir," she called again, searching for him, the power given to her by the Mother forcing back the darkness around her. Finally she spotted Boromir; he was far below her, near the bottom of the dark well… near Death. She hurried towards him before a huge, dark shadow in the shape of a hooded man stepped in between them.

Kat froze; this must be the Dark God… the master over all of death. She knew it would be entirely too crazy to argue with a god, most importantly the god of death, but he was between her and Boromir. "Begging your pardon, but you cannot have Boromir. Not yet. I need him back with me… please."

The god's shadowy hands reached for her and she almost stepped back, "You cannot have him," she repeated. The hands continued reaching for her and grabbed her by her shoulders. She could feel the god looking at her, almost analyzing her, and she squarely stared up at the dark head. The head nodded and the Dark God disappeared. Kat let out a sigh of relief and reached out to Boromir, anxious to get out of here before the Dark God changed his… its mind. "Come back, Mir," she clasped his hands with hers. "This is not the place for us, come back with me." Kat pulled him from the well, feeling the power slowly drain from her body.

They returned to where they were in the wilderness. Kat's entire body ached, her shield had fallen as soon as she returned, allowing the others to come closer while she quickly vanished the arrows in Boromir's body and healed his wounds, relying on the magic in her opal to complete these tasks, her limbs shaking from exhaustion. She looked up to see how Boromir was faring and felt the color drain out of her face when she realized he wasn't moving.

* * *

_... please don't kill me XD_

_next chapter will hopefully be up in a few days, maybe even tomorrow. I'm having computer problems at the moment so bear with me._

_-Dee_


	11. Chapter 11

"No… no, no, no, no, NO!" She screamed.

"Kat…" she shrugged off Aragorn's hand on her shoulder angrily, digging into her belt purse to find several potions that could help Boromir. Her hands shook and tears filled her eyes as she poured the contents of the vials down Boromir's throat, gently rubbing it to force him to swallow.

"Please," Kat begged him, the Mother, anyone who would listen to hear her pleading, tears falling fast down her face. "Please, no… you promised me, Mir. God damn it, I love you! You cannot leave me like this! You can't!" She buried her face in his chest as she sobbed brokenly. This time she didn't shrug off Aragorn's hand, her own were twisted in Boromir's outer tunic, her knuckles white from the force of her grip. Aragorn squeezed her shoulder and she briefly felt the sting of the scrapes on her back, recent souvenirs from Boromir the evening he had found her in the Anduin, before the ranger let go. All of it only made her sob harder.

Some time later, a hand gently tucked part of her loose hair behind her ear and cupped the back of her head, "Katie."

Kat shot up with a gasp. Boromir lived. While no longer on the brink of death, he still looked worse for wear, but none of that mattered because he was alive. She threw her arms around his neck tightly, afraid to let go and find out this was all a dream. Boromir's arms wrapped around her as well and Kat sobbed in relief. After the cathartic cry, she leaned back and punched him sharply on the chest.

"Ouch! What was that for?" He asked hoarsely.

"For taking your sweet ass time coming back, that's what!" She glared at him even as he pulled her more firmly onto his lap. "And you made me cry…"

Boromir had the gall to chuckle, "For what it's worth, Katie, I am sorry. Forgive me?"

She looked down at him, joy swelling in her heart at the fact that he was alive and here with her. She smoothed some of his hair back from his face and cupped his cheeks with both hands. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she smiled and nodded, "Forgiven."

"Good," he smiled back and brought her head down for a deep kiss that she gladly returned, tears streaming down her face. "Katie?"

"Yeah, Mir?"

"I love you too."

Kat grinned and gently kissed him again. She got up off his lap and helped him to his feet. Finding Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli nowhere in sight, they headed back towards the river. The trio was waiting by the water's edge, discussing what they should do next. Boromir, leaning heavily on Kat, spoke up, "They took the little ones… before you came, Aragorn. Where is Frodo?"

"I let him go," the ranger replied.

"Then you did what I could not. I… I tried to take the Ring from him," Boromir confessed as Kat made him sit down and she fetched some water and Lembas bread.

"The Ring is beyond our reach now."

"Forgive me," he pleaded. "I did not see it… I have failed you… all of you."

"No, Boromir," Aragorn, "you fought bravely and have kept your honor."

Boromir leaned forward to rest his head in his hands, "What are we to do now?" He asked, not convinced at what Aragorn said. Kat gently pressed the Lembas and water into his hands, silently urging him to eat and drink.

Aragorn looked out across the river to the eastern shore where Frodo and Sam had gone.

"You mean not to follow Frodo and Sam?" Legolas asked when he said nothing.

"Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands," Aragorn replied.

"Then it has all been in vain! The Fellowship has failed," Gimli sighed.

Aragorn put his hands on their shoulders, "Not if we hold true to each other." He glanced over his shoulder at Kat and Boromir. The woman nodded as she wrapped an arm around Boromir's shoulders. "We will not abandon Merry and Pippin to torment and death. Not while we have strength left. Leave all that can be spared behind," he told them, leaning down to grab the knife Celeborn gave him and resheathing it, "We travel light… let us hunt some orc!"

They all looked at each other, grinning. "Yeees!" Gimli yelled gleefully. Kat turned back to the boats, taking a handful of supplies, mostly food and water, and shrinking them down to fit in her belt purse. A splash to her right caught her attention and she looked up to see Boromir's broken horn slowly float away from them.

She turned to Boromir, "I could have repaired that if you wanted."

"You need to save your strength, Katie," he responded softly. He looked over at his shield as though debating whether or not to bring it. Kat solved that dilemma by shrinking the shield as well and tucking it into the purse. "You up for this? You did just use a lot of magic."

"I am… you?" At his nod, Kat leaned up and gave him a brief kiss. "Let's go then." They could still hear Gimli's gleeful shouts as they ran after the trio into the woods, off to rescue Merry and Pippin from a terrible fate.

* * *

_and so ends the Fellowship of the Ring part of Chase the Morning! Stay tuned for The Two Towers and the return of an old friend!_

_-Dee_


	12. Chapter 12

Elizabeth Weir, formerly known as Dr. Weir and former civilian leader of the Atlantis Expedition in the Pegasus Galaxy, looked out towards the horizon from where she stood outside the Golden Hall of Meduseld in the city of Edoras of the kingdom of Rohan. Her dark brown waves that she used to keep in relatively short natural curls for manageability now reached her waist and danced in the wind, her cool green eyes gazed without actively looking. Edoras was quiet, as it had been the past years, its inhabitants as silent as the grave. Edoras was her home now, having appeared a short distance from the city twenty years ago while traveling through the stargate.

Her life in Atlantis, of traveling through the stars and facing down new aliens each and every day seemed like a dream compared to her reality now of living in Middle Earth. Éowyn and Éomer, niece and nephew to the king, had been extremely helpful in Elizabeth adjusting to her life here. She owed so much gratitude towards the brother and sister pair, for taking her in and teaching her how to survive. A smile crossed her face at the memory of a young Éowyn insisting that her older brother, Éomer teach a then sixteen year old Elizabeth how to fight and most importantly, fight from horseback. Learning to fight had gone against Elizabeth's principles as a peacemaker and a diplomat, but she wasn't an idiot. She found out years ago that even if you didn't know how to wield a weapon, you could still die by one.

Elizabeth sighed, worried about Prince Théodred inside the palace. Éowyn was tending to him now, both she and Elizabeth had been shocked when Éomer brought him back badly wounded. Elizabeth feared death was soon upon the prince and it was not the first time she wished Kat were here with her. A commotion at the doors caught her attention and she turned just in time to see Éomer being tossed out of the building, "Éomer?" The man said nothing and stalked down the stairs in front of the palace, heading towards the stables. "Éomer!" She hiked up her skirts and followed him down the stairs, intent on getting an explanation.

The blonde warrior was already saddling his horse when she entered the stables. His lance and helmet were waiting by the door to his horse's stall. Elizabeth stood in the doorway of the stall, gently rubbing the horse's nose when the gelding shifted towards her, "Éomer?"

The man stopped in his adjustments and sighed, "I have… been banished from Rohan."

"Gríma's work?"

"He's behind it, no doubt. He was able to get King Théoden to sign the order… this morning."

She nodded, pushing her worry to the back of her mind for now, "Are you going alone?"

He shrugged, "I may be, or others may join me in banishment once they hear of this… I cannot let our land and kingdom be taken by Saruman's forces, Elizabeth."

"I know and I understand. I wish you luck and hopefully King Théoden will see the error of his ways and return you here."

Éomer smiled, "Look after Éowyn, please? I dislike the way Gríma stares at her or follows her."

Elizabeth nodded, "I promise… I don't like it either. Be careful, Éomer." She reached into one of her sleeves and pulled out a scrap of bright red fabric, all she had left from her days in Atlantis. It was a piece of her favorite red shirt, the one she had been wearing when she came to Middle Earth, it was a piece of her past, of who she used to be. Extending her hand with the fabric in it, Elizabeth looked up to see how Éomer would take this gesture.

He was surprised, but grasped her hand in both of his, "Elizabeth?"

She smiled nervously, "It's a loan, and you're only borrowing it, really. I seem to remember something about 'a warrior wears a favor into battle'? Or it is suggested that they do? You can wear mine for luck and return it when you come back."

Éomer nodded and let her tie the red fabric around his left bicep over his armor, "I will return it… my lady."

* * *

Kat briefly paused behind Aragorn, her body screaming at her for the torture she was currently putting it through. The ranger was lying down on the ground, eyes closed and ear pressed to the ground as he listened. "Their pace has quickened," he looked up, "they must have caught our scent… hurry!"

"He's going to kill me, I swear," she gasped as Boromir caught up with her.

"Three days and nights of running…" he shook his head and gently pushed her forward to get her moving again. "I think we are gaining on them, though."

"So long as we catch them before anything happens to Merry and Pippin, that's all that matters." The five of them ran across the land, determinedly pushing themselves up and over rolling hills and vast plains as far as the eye could see. She looked out for Boromir occasionally while they ran, making sure he was fine. He returned the favor and to both their amusement, Legolas took care of Gimli. Aragorn, on the other hand, was a completely different story. Kat attempted to take care of him as well, making sure he ate and kept himself hydrated, but the man she thought of as her older brother was just as stubborn as her.

The subject of her thoughts suddenly bent down to pick something up from the sodden ground. "Not idly do the leaves of Lórien fall."

"They still may be alive," Kat stated hopefully.

"Less than a day ahead of us… come!" If all of this running didn't kill her, Kat would murder the ranger in his sleep after all of this. They all stopped at the top of a stone ridge. "Rohan," Aragorn furrowed his brows, "Home of the horse lords… there is something strange at work here. Some evil gives speed to these creatures, set its will against us." Legolas ran ahead of them to get a closer look. "Legolas," Aragorn called to him, "what do your elf eyes see?"

"The Uruks turn northeast… they're taking the hobbits to Isengard!"

"Damn it!" Kat cursed.

* * *

She had barely come to a stop behind Gimli and Boromir when Aragorn was urging them on again. They hid behind some rocks and Boromir had just pulled her down when a large group of riders galloped over the top of the hill, banners flying high in the morning sky. Kat peered out from underneath Boromir's arms as they passed. Aragorn walked out from their hiding place, the rest of them following, "Riders of Rohan, what news from the Mark?"

At a signal from their leader, the horsemen executed a quick turn and headed towards them, surrounding them in ever-tightening circles. As they came to a stop, the men pointed their long lances menacingly at the five of them. "Shit," Kat whispered, glaring at Boromir when he nudged her to be quiet.

"What business does an elf, two men, a dwarf, and a woman have in the Riddermark? Speak quickly!" The leader of the riders barked at them. Kat noted a splash of bright red against the dull brown leather and metal of the man's battle worn armor, the scrap of fabric was tied around his left bicep as a lady would do a favor to a warrior before leaving for battle or war.

"Give me your name, Horse Master, and I shall give you mine," Gimli retorted casually.

The man handed his lance over to another rider and dismounted. Aragorn put a hand on Gimli's shoulder and Boromir did the same with Kat as she had bristled at the man's tone. "I would cut off your head, _dwarf_," the man spat, "if it stood but a little higher from the ground."

Legolas drew an arrow quickly and pointed it at the rider, "You would die before your stroke fell!"

The lances instantly pointed menacingly in towards them and Kat could feel Boromir shift uneasily behind her. After a tense moment, Aragorn pushed down on Legolas' arm, "I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. This is Gimli, son of Glóin, Legolas of the Woodland realm, Boromir, son of Denethor, and Kathryn, daughter of Helen. We are friends of Rohan and of Théoden your king."

"Théoden no longer recognizes friend from foe," the man took off his helmet, revealing blonde hair and weary brown eyes, "Not even his own kin." He gave the riders surrounding them a signal and the lances were withdrawn. "Saruman has poisoned the mind of the king and claimed lordship over these lands. My company is of those who are loyal to Rohan and for that we are banished. The White Wizard is cunning… he walks here and there; they say, as an old man, hooded and cloaked. And everywhere his spies slip past our nets."

Boromir tightened his grip on Kat's upper arms when he felt her shift, physically holding her back from possibly smacking the man in front of them at the insinuation. "We are no spies," Aragorn stated. "We track a party of Uruk-hai westward across the plain. They've taken two of our friends captive."

The man glanced down briefly before looking back up at Aragorn, "The Uruks are destroyed. We slaughtered them during the night."

"But there were two hobbits! Did you see two hobbits with them?" Gimli asked.

"They would be small, like children," Kat spoke up for the first time.

The rider shook his head, "We left none alive. We piled the carcasses and burned them," he pointed to the smoke plume in the distance.

"Dead?" Boromir asked.

He nodded, "I am sorry." Legolas put a hand on Gimli's shoulder in grief and Kat leaned back into Boromir while the banished leader turned and whistled, "Hasufel! Arod! Niand!" Three riderless horses moved to the center of the group. "May these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters… Farewell." The man put his helmet back on, the nose piece in the shape of a horse's head, and mounted his horse again, "Look for your friends, but do not trust to hope… it has forsaken these lands." He turned to his riders, "We ride north!"

The five of them watched as the warriors rode off into the distance. Aragorn mounted his horse, Legolas did as well, pulling Gimli up behind him. Boromir mounted the remaining horse and held out a hand to Kat. She gripped his forearm and with his help, situated herself behind him on the horse. Kat slinked her arms around his torso, her hands coming to rest on Boromir's chest, and nodded to Aragorn.

As they approached the pile of burning carcasses, Kat could feel the bile gathering in her throat at the smell. She buried her face into the back of Boromir's shoulder, trying to hide from the smell and realizing that Boromir didn't smell much better. With a snort, Kat hid her grin in his outer tunic, shaking her head when he eyed her curiously out of the corner of his eye, '_I'm probably the same way. What I wouldn't do for a warm bath…_'

The smell was definitely worse up close and Kat stumbled away from them to empty her stomach once they dismounted. Since there wasn't much in there to begin with, all that came up was foam and dry heaves. Boromir was a short distance away when she turned around. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her back to where Gimli was sifting through the smoldering pile.

Kat pulled her elven cloak up to cover her nose and mouth just as the dwarf pulled out a charred belt and dagger sheath, "It's one of their wee belts," he said mournfully.

Legolas bowed his head and closed his eyes, "_Hiro hyn hîdh… ab 'wanath…_"

Boromir looked to Kat for a translation, "May they find peace in death," she replied, her voice hollow and raw. Aragorn kicked a helmet hard and screamed out in a combination of anguish and pain before falling to his knees.

"We failed them," Gimli said.

She watched, tucked into Boromir's side, as something caught Aragorn's attention, "A hobbit lay here," he said," and another… They crawled." He got up and followed the tracks, the rest of them behind him. "Their hands were bound," Aragorn picked up a severed length of thick, roughly woven rope, "their bonds were cut."

Kat found another length of rope not far from the severed one, "One of them was untied… likely by the other."

"Good spot, Kat," Aragorn nodded and continued to follow the tracks, "They ran over here…"

"And were followed," she finished his thought.

"The tracks lead away from the battle…" they broke into a run and stopped as the dark, twisted forest loomed ahead of them. "…into Fangorn Forest."

"Fangorn…" Gimli gasped. "What madness drove them in there?"


	13. Chapter 13

The forest was dark, dank, the air close, almost muggy. Years of unchecked growth led to a canopy that hid the ground beneath the gnarled trees from most sunlight. Moss grew abundantly and adorned the branches like ornaments.

Gimli fingered a dark stain on a leave and brought it to his mouth. He instantly spit it out, "Orc blood."

"Oh gross," Kat grimaced.

Boromir looked over at her, amused, "It is not like you have never tasted the black blood, Katie."

"Not… by choice, Mir."

Aragorn interrupted them, speaking up from where he was kneeling on the damp ground, "These are strange tracks…" Kat had to agree; a very strange creature would have definitely made such large circular tracks.

"The air is so close in here," Gimli stated.

"The forest is old… very old. Full of memory… and anger," Legolas informed him. A groan reverberated through the trees and Gimli raised his axe. Kat put a warning hand on Boromir's arm before he could draw his sword. When he looked over at her in confusion, she wordlessly shook her head as Legolas continued speaking, "The trees are speaking to each other."

"Gimli!" Aragorn whispered.

"Huh?"

"Lower your axe," he commanded, gesturing it at the same time.

The dwarf lowered the weapon slowly, "Oh."

"They have feelings my friend," Legolas said, bemused. "The elves began it; waking up the trees… teaching them to speak."

"Talking trees," Gimli huffed. "What do trees have to talk about? Except the consistency of squirrel droppings?"

"Aragorn, _nad no ennas_!" Legolas alerted the ranger.

"_Man cenich_?"

"The White Wizard approaches."

Aragorn's mouth as a firm line when he spoke, "Do not let him speak. He will put a spell on us." Aragorn wrapped his hand around the hilt of his sword, Boromir doing the same, Gimli tightened his grip on his axes, Legolas notched an arrow to his bow, and Kat readied her knife to throw. "We must be quick."

With a yell, they all swung around to attack. Gimli's axe and Legolas' arrow were deflected. Aragorn, Boromir, and Kat all dropped their weapons when they burned red hot in their hands. They shielded their eyes against the bright light emanating from the wizard.

"You are tracking the footsteps of two young hobbits."

"Where are they?" Aragorn demanded.

"They passed this way the day before yesterday. They met someone they… did not expect. Does that comfort you?"

"Who are you? Show yourself!" The light dimmed.

It was Gandalf, dressed in white instead of his usual grey. All of them were astounded. "It cannot be."

"Forgive me," Legolas pleaded and he and Gimli bowed. "I mistook you for Saruman."

"I am Saruman… or rather, Saruman as he should have been."

"You fell…" Kat said quietly in disbelief, tears in her eyes as she stared at the wizard.

"Through fire… and water," Gandalf nodded. "From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak, I fought with the Balrog of Morgoth. Until at last, I threw down my enemy and smote his ruin upon the mountainside. Darkness took me and I strayed out of thought and time. Stars wheeled overhead and everyday was as long as a life age of the earth, but it was not the end. I felt life in me again… I have been sent back until my task is done."

"Gandalf," Aragorn stepped forward.

"Gandalf?" The wizard looked a bit puzzled. "Yes… that's what they used to call me… Gandalf the Grey… That was my name," he smiled.

"Gandalf!" Gimli cried and they all smiled.

He looked them with a twinkle in his eye, "I am Gandalf the White and I come back to you now at the turn of the tide."

Gandalf led them through the forest, a grey elven cloak made of the same material as their green-grey ones over his white robes, "One stage of your journey is over, and another begins. We must ride to Edoras with all speed."

"Edoras? That is no short distance!" Gimli called from the back of the group.

"We hear of trouble in Rohan," Aragorn told Gandalf. "It goes ill with the king."

He nodded, "Yes, and it will not be easily cured."

"Then we have run all this way for nothing?" Boromir asked.

"Are we to leave those poor hobbits here in this horrid, dark, dank, tree-infested," Gimli began, but was interrupted by the trees, angrily groaning at his words. "I mean… charming, quite charming forest."

"It was more than mere chance that brought Merry and Pippin to Fangorn," Gandalf replied, leading them onward. "A great power has been sleeping here for many long years. The coming of Merry and Pippin will be like the falling of small stones that starts an avalanche in the mountains." Kat saw Aragorn lean in to murmur something in Gandalf's ear and they shared a laugh before Gandalf turned to all of them. "A thing is about to happen that has not happened since the Elder Days. The ents are going to wake up and find that they are strong."

"Strong?!" Gimli's eyes widened as the trees groaned, "Oh, that's good."

"Stop your fretting, Master Dwarf. Merry and Pippin are quite safe. In fact, they are far safer than you are about to be!" Kat smiled at Gimli's grumbling behind her and Boromir. Outside of Fangorn, Gandalf whistled. It echoed on the wind and an answering neigh was heard in the distance as a white horse appeared on the plain.

"That is one of the Mearas unless my eyes are cheated by some spell," Legolas looked at it in awe and so did Kat as the horse came to a stop in front of Gandalf.

"Shadowfax," Gandalf smiled. "He's the lord of all horses and he's been my friend through many dangers." All of them remounted their horses and rode towards Edoras.

* * *

They camped for the night on the Plains of Rohan, up against a large rock for protection and shielding from any unfriendly eyes that might find them. All of them were asleep save for Gandalf and Aragorn. The wizard was staring out at the eastern horizon, an ominous red glow bright against the inky blue of the night sky. Aragorn got up from the fire where he had been keeping watch and joined him. "The veiling shadow that glowers in the east takes shape," Gandalf spoke to him quietly. "Sauron will suffer no rival. From the summit of Barad-dûr his eye watches ceaselessly, but he is not so mighty yet that he is above fear. Doubt ever gnaws at him… the rumor has reached him. The heir of Númenor still lives."

Aragorn looked at him and Gandalf continued, "Sauron fears you, Aragorn. He fears what you may become, and so he'll strike hard and fast at the world of Men. He will use his puppet Saruman, to destroy Rohan. War is coming. Rohan must defend itself and therein lies our first challenge… for Rohan is weak and ready to fall. The king's mind, it's an old device of Saruman's. His hold over King Théoden is now very strong. Sauron and Saruman are tightening the noose, but for all their cunning we have one advantage."

The ranger looked at him again, "The ring remains hidden and that we should seek to destroy it has not yet entered their darkest dreams. And so the weapon of the enemy is moving towards Mordor in the hands of a hobbit, each day brings it closer to the fires of Mount Doom. We must trust now in Frodo, everything depends upon speed and the secrecy of his quest." Aragorn looked troubled, "Do not regret your decision to leave him, Aragorn. Frodo must finish this task alone."

"He is not alone. Sam went with him," Aragorn smiled slightly at the surprised look on the wizard's face.

Gandalf looked pleased, "Did he? Did he indeed? Good… yes, very good." He glanced behind them, "Tell me one thing, Aragorn."

"Anything, old friend."

"When did that happen?" Gandalf pointed to where Kat was asleep in Boromir's arms as she had been the morning of their departure from Lothlórien.

"Lothlórien, I think."

He nodded and smiled, "Happiness is a wonderful thing to see in such dark times."

* * *

"Oh, but you are alone!" Elizabeth stopped short outside of Théodred's room upon hearing Gríma's voice ooze out of the open door. "Who knows what you have spoken to the darkness. In bitter watches of the night, when all your life seems to shrink, the walls of your bower closing in about you. A hutch to trammel some wild thing in…" He paused before speaking again and Elizabeth moved to stand in the doorway. Gríma had his hand on Éowyn's throat, "So fair, so cold, like a morning of pale spring still clinging to winter's chill."

"Gríma," Elizabeth startled the weasel like man with her coldest voice possible. This was the voice that had chilled unruly diplomats to the bone or had brawny soldiers in Atlantis quaking in their boots.

"Lady Elizabeth, what a surprise," he practically sneered.

"Leave her alone," she warned.

"The lady can speak for herself."

Éowyn's face was dreadfully pale, but firm, "Your words are poison!" She spat at the man and left the room, tears streaming down her face. Elizabeth gave Gríma her coldest look before following the woman out of the hall and slipping her hand in Éowyn's as they gazed out onto the city of Edoras, the blonde woman weeping silently. One of the flags around the palace was ripped off of its pole and carried away by the wind; it directed their attention to the plains where they could see riders coming towards the walls of the city.

"Come on, Éowyn," she gently pulled the woman away from where they were standing to return inside the hall. Éowyn spared one last glance down at the riders before willingly following Elizabeth, comforted by her presence and knowing that with Elizabeth beside her, Gríma would leave her be.

* * *

Kat tightened her grip around Boromir's waist as they entered Edoras. It was as silent and somber as a grave. Every citizen of the city wore black or dark colors and eyed them in wariness.

"You would find more cheer in a graveyard," Gimli stated just loud enough for them to hear.

They dismounted their horses at the base of the stairs leading up to the hall. Boromir caught the weary Kat when she stumbled upon landing, "Alright?"

Kat nodded, "Fine, just tired." They climbed the stairs and were met by guards.

"Ah," Gandalf smiled upon seeing Háma.

"I cannot allow you before Théoden King so armed, Gandalf Greyhame. By order of Gríma Wormtongue." Gandalf nodded in understanding and signaled them to surrender their weapons. Kat did so grudgingly, handing over her sword, the knife from Jack, as well as any others hidden on her person. "Your staff."

"Hmm?" Kat had to smile inwardly at the game Gandalf was playing. "Oh, you would not part an old man from his walking stick?" She couldn't believe that the man was falling for Gandalf's utterly transparent look of innocence. They entered the hall, Gandalf leaning on Legolas' arm. Boromir had his hand on her back and she was comforted by the warm weight. The doors were locked and barred behind them, and the hairs on the back of Kat's neck to stood up.

Sitting on the throne was a very old man. He had long ragged hair, dirty fingernails and food-stained robes, the man's eyes were clouded and teary, red-rimmed with bags beneath them. This… was Théoden, King of Rohan? A sallow-skinned man sat on the king's right, greasy black hair hung about his shoulders and he wore pristine black clothes. Currently, he was whispering into Théoden's ear, no doubt continuing to poison the king's mind.

"The courtesy of your hall is somewhat lessened of late, Théoden King," Gandalf stated, his voice echoing around the grand room. The wizard approached the king and the four of them pulled back, surveying the hall and all of its occupants. Out of the corner of her eye, Kat noted a group of men starting to follow their steps with hostility.

"Why should I… welcome you, Gandalf… Stormcrow?" The king wheezed and looked to the man beside him for affirmation.

"A just question, my liege," the worm of a man nodded and turned to Gandalf. "Late, is the hour in which this conjuror chooses to appear. Lathspell, I name him. Ill news is an ill guest."

"Be silent!" Gandalf snapped. "Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. I have not passed through fire and death to bandy crooked words with a witless worm!" He raised his staff against the man.

"His staff!" The man shouted while backing away from Gandalf. "I told you to take the wizard's staff!"

The hostile guards attacked and Kat immediately aimed for the solar plexus of one with her fist while Gandalf continued to approach Théoden. "Théoden, son of Thengel, too long have you sat in the shadows."

Kat grabbed the lapels of one man's tunic and dropped to the ground, planting her feet in his stomach and flipping him over her head in one smooth and swift movement. She jumped up just as Gimli pinned who she guessed was Gríma to the floor and growled, "I would stay still, if I were you." Boromir put a hand on Kat's shoulder and she nodded to the unasked question of whether or not she was fine.

"Hearken to me! I release you from the spell," Gandalf closed his eyes and gestured with his hand.

The king began to laugh menacingly and all of the hair on her body stood up, Kat shivered as the king answered, "You have no power here, Gandalf the Grey!"

Gandalf ripped off his grey cloak, exposing the white robes underneath and exuding a blinding white light. Théoden was thrown back against his throne with a yelp. The wizard pointed his staff at the king, "I will draw you, Saruman, as poison is drawn from a wound."

Two women rushed into the hall, one blonde the other a dark brunette. The blonde one tried to go to Théoden but Aragorn held her back, "Wait."

A voice completely different from the king's spoke through the man's body, "If I go… Théoden dies."

Gandalf twitched his staff sharply and Théoden was thrown against the chair again, "You did not kill me, you will not kill him!"

"Rohan is mine!"

"Be gone!" Gandalf smote Théoden across the face when the king lunged at him.

Théoden was thrown back into the chair and after a while he let out a moan and slumped forward in the throne. Aragorn let go of the woman in his arms and she ran to the king's side, joined by the brunette. Théoden's head rose and his face gradually changed into that of a much younger looking man. Gone was the cloudiness from his eyes, instead clarity and recognition filled them. He looked closely at the blonde woman, "I know your face. Éowyn… Éowyn." The woman wept with joy. "Gandalf?"

"Breathe the free air again, my friend," Gandalf smiled.

* * *

Gríma was thrown out of the hall, Théoden almost killing the man until Aragorn intervened. Kat watched as the residents of Edoras bowed before their king, Gríma riding away out of the city. A tickling at the back of her mind made her jerk her head around with a frown. Boromir noticed the gesture, "What is it, Katie?"

"I don't know… something strange yet familiar… something I haven't felt in a long time… so strange…" she rubbed the back of her neck when it happened again. Kat closed her eyes and concentrated, feeling a suggestion to look to her right. She did so and was confused at why until her eyes landed on the woman with the dark brown hair she had seen earlier. Cool green eyes were staring at her and while the curls had turned into waves and were longer than she had ever seen, the strong bone structure of the woman's face was easily recognizable. "Elizabeth…"

She pushed through a group of people, ignoring Boromir calling her name behind her, as she kept her eyes on the woman. Kat could not believe her eyes; Elizabeth was here, safe, alive, and here. They threw their arms around each other tightly, never wanting to let go after twenty years apart. Tears ran down their faces as their knees gave out in relief. Kat and Elizabeth sunk to the ground with their arms still around each other. Shaking hands wiped away the cold tear tracks, but the grins remained.

"_You're here…_" Elizabeth whispered in Ancient, brushing back a strand of Kat's hair from her grimy face.

"_I knew we'd find each other…_" Kat replied, taking in the long hair and well made dress Elizabeth had on. "_Were you treated well?_"

The woman nodded, "_The king, Éowyn, and her brother took me in. I've been here the whole time. You though… you look as though you've had an adventure, maybe more than one._"

"_You could say that_," Kat chuckled. "_I was in Rivendell. Aragorn found me north of the city and I was a ward of Lord Elrond until I joined the Fellowship. I've been with them ever since._"

"_Sounds exciting_," Elizabeth smiled. "_I'll have to get the whole story later._"

"_Definitely. Same for you._"

* * *

"Tell me everything that's happened to you," Elizabeth smiled as she and Kat entered Elizabeth's room in the golden hall and sat on her bed. "Please, Kat, tell me."

Kat launched into her tale of landing north of Rivendell, of Aragorn finding her and her years growing up in Imladris. She was getting to the part of meeting Boromir and the Council of Elrond when someone knocked on the doorjamb. Both of them looked up to see Boromir leaning on the doorway, an uneasy smile on his face. Kat got up, "Is something wrong?"

"No, no, not at all…" he put up his hands in a calming gesture as Kat walked over to him.

"What is it, then, Mir?"

"The king is requesting our, that is, the men's presence in Théodred's procession… I need my shield."

"Oh! Oh, sorry," Kat smiled and dug into her belt purse to get Boromir's shield. With a snap of her fingers it returned to regular size and she handed it over to him.

"Thank you, Katie," he smiled softly and leaned forward to press a kiss to her cheek before leaving.

She watched him go and turned around to see the impish grin on Elizabeth's face, "Don't even start…"


	14. Chapter 14

The wind teased the smaller strands of hair that stubbornly refused to be pulled back in a braid as Kat watched the procession slowly make its way from the Golden Hall of Meduseld to the burial grounds where she, Elizabeth and Lady Éowyn stood waiting.

The prince's body drew closer and Kat saw Éowyn slip her hand into Elizabeth's for comfort. Based only on what she could see and what little her sister had told her, both Elizabeth and Éowyn had been incredibly fond of Théodred. She knew that pain of losing a loved one all too well. Elizabeth wasn't showing her grief as much as the lady of Rohan beside her. Kat recognized the cool mask on Elizabeth's face as the one she wore when they lost yet another member of the Atlantis Expedition. As the prince was carried into his final resting place, Éowyn burst into a chant in a language that Kat did not recognize. Elizabeth joined in as well, their voices in beautiful harmony. She felt Elizabeth reach out and squeeze her hand as they started up the path back to the hall. Elizabeth excused herself with an apologetic smile and linked arms with Éowyn.

Boromir fell into step with her, "How is your long-lost sister, Katie?"

"Very different from when I last saw her."

"Is that a good thing or bad thing?"

Kat watched Elizabeth interact with Éowyn ahead of them, "I don't know yet, Mir… and that's what worries me."

* * *

Elizabeth watched Kat from the end of the hall. Her sister, Kat had explained everything and it turned out both of them had the same idea of calling each other family to their caretakers all those years ago, was currently in Boromir's arms. The man was nuzzling the side of Kat's head and Elizabeth could just make out the sound of their soft conversation. She saw a fond smile cross Kat's face as the two conversed.

She had known Kat for close to three years by the time they had been brought to Middle Earth. While three years would seem a small amount of time to most people, two of those years were spent in the Pegasus Galaxy, where every day was a life or death situation and they never knew how long the peace would last. It had an effect on personal relationships with people and Elizabeth knew Kat in a way that most people outside of SG-1 and AR-1 didn't get a chance to learn.

Kat, while not necessarily cold, wasn't the kind of person to instantly warm up to everyone she came across in life. Elizabeth figured it was some sort of lasting effect of growing up with her adopted father who had been busy during Kat's childhood and sometimes neglected the woman until he sent her off to a boarding school in Scotland. Whatever the cause of her reserve, Kat had never acted towards anyone the way she was around Boromir in the years Elizabeth had known her.

The darker brunette smiled warmly when Boromir tipped Kat's chin up to kiss her sweetly. However the years had changed Kat, Elizabeth was happy to see her with someone who saw her for the woman's worth and didn't hinder her. With one last glance over at the couple, Elizabeth smiled again before slipping out into the main hall.

* * *

"You need to eat something, Katie," Boromir said quietly as he sat down next to her in the hall. The half-eaten stew was in a bowl on the table in front of her and she played with it disinterestedly. "Katie?"

"Kathryn Athena Lattimer, stop playing with your food this instant," Elizabeth called from the doorway where she and Éowyn had put the two refugee children to bed. Kat made a face and begrudgingly ate her dinner after Elizabeth's chiding much to the amusement of Boromir and their friends. It wasn't often you could get the stubborn Kat to do something after she refused.

"Yes, mum," Kat muttered under her breath and Elizabeth mildly glared at her. Boromir smiled when Kat flushed with embarrassment. "Have you eaten, Mir?"

He nodded, "I have. This is the first time we've really been able to sit and rest since… well, since Lothlórien really."

She smiled and gently squeezed his hand, "Feels like ages ago, doesn't it?"

"Everything does," he smiled back and chastely kissed her knuckles before urging her to finish her food.

* * *

"By order of the king, the city must empty. We make for the refuge of Helm's Deep. Do not burden yourselves with treasures, take only what provisions you need!" Kat heard Háma shouting as she and Boromir with Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli followed Gandalf to the stables.

"Helm's Deep!" Gandalf shook his head as they walked, his sword slung over his left shoulder.

"They flee to the mountains when they should stand and fight. Who will defend them if not their king?" Gimli asked.

"He is only doing what he thinks is best for his people," Aragorn protested.

"Aragorn is right, Helm's Deep has saved them in the past," Kat spoke as they entered the stables.

"There is no way out of that ravine," Gandalf shook his head again. "Théoden is walking into a trap. He thinks he is leading them to safety." Aragorn held open the small gate to Shadowfax's stall for the wizard. "What they will get is a massacre. Théoden has a strong will, but I fear for him. I fear for the survival of Rohan. He will need you before the end, Aragorn, the people of Rohan will need you. The defenses _have_ to hold."

"They will hold," Aragorn nodded.

The white wizard turned to Shadowfax and stroked the horse's neck, "The Grey Pilgrim… that is what they used to call me. Three hundred lives of men I have walked this earth and now I have no time. With luck my search will not be in vain." Aragorn opened the gate fully as Gandalf mounted the horse. "Look to my coming at first light on the fifth day… at dawn, look to the east."

"Go," Aragorn urged him and they jumped back when Shadowfax galloped out of the stables and city to the plains of Rohan.

"Here's to hoping he'll reach Éomer in time," Kat sighed.

* * *

Kat followed Aragorn into the stables to saddle their horses. Two men were trying to hold a wild, dark brown horse as it snorted, whinnied, and reared frequently. They set down their saddles to the side even as a stableman protested them getting involved, "That horse is half mad, my lord and lady, there's nothing you can do! Leave him!"

Aragorn walked towards the horse speaking words of the Rohirric language calmly as he gestured for Kat to approach from the other side and do the same, "_Fæste, stille nú, fæste, stille nú. Lac is drefed, gefrægon_." The horse calmed down some, still snorting, as they slowly moved to gently stroke its neck. Aragorn released one of the ropes while Kat kept a hold of hers.

"_Hwæt nemnaõ õe? Hm? Hwæt nemnaõ õe?_" Kat asked, both she and Aragorn petting him comfortingly.

"His name is Brego… he was my cousin's horse," Éowyn informed them, having watched the entire thing.

"Brego? _Ðin nama is cynglic_," Aragorn told the horse.

Éowyn walked slowly towards them while Kat spoke softly to the horse in elvish, Brego now calm, "_Man le trasta_, Brego? _Man cenich_?"

"I have heard of the magic of elves, but I did not look for it in rangers from the North. You two speak as though you were born ones."

"I was raised in Rivendell… for a time, as was Kat," Aragorn told her. "Turn this fellow free, he has seen enough of war." Kat quietly handed the rope still attached to Brego's bridle and followed Aragorn to get their saddles back from the stableman. "Ready for another journey, Kat?"

"I think you know by now that we'll sleep when we're dead, Aragorn," she looked amused and efficiently saddled the horse that she and Boromir would share on the way to Helm's Deep.

* * *

Kat shifted behind Boromir as they rode in the slow processional out of Edoras towards the fortress of Helm's Deep. She could feel Boromir's chuckle against her cheek before she heard it, "Comfortable?" He asked.

"Mm… nearly. Sometimes I think I've forgotten what a real bed feels like at this point."

At that he laughed and covered one of her hands with his, "I know the feeling. Were you able to get any rest last night?" When she was silent, he gently pulled on her hand, "Katie?"

"No…" she sighed finally and shifting again to rest her chin on his shoulder. "Elizabeth and I got to talking and… I had another nightmare."

"What about?"

He felt her shrug, "Same old thing."

"The Eye?"

"And Frodo and Arwen dying…"

"Have you talked with anyone else about it?"

"Lady Galadriel knew the moment we stepped foot in her domain… I worked with her while we were in the golden wood to… sort of control it… be able to make sense of these dreams…"

"So only she and I know?" At her affirmative answer, he frowned, "You should talk to someone else as well."

"Who else am I supposed to tell, Mir?"

"What about Aragorn?"

"And have him worry about Arwen on top of everything else?"

"I think you should tell him."

"Later…"

"Alright."

* * *

Boromir rode beside Aragorn as they traveled. Kat had opted to walking after a day of riding before. She was currently walking alongside Elizabeth while they all listened to Gimli chatting with Éowyn, leading the dwarf's horse by the reins. "It's true you don't see many dwarf women, and in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance," he laughed, "that they're often mistaken for dwarf men!"

"It's the beards," Aragorn gestured when the blonde woman looked to him.

"And this, in turn has given rise to the belief that there are no dwarf women and that dwarves just spring out of holes in the ground!" The woman laughed gaily, Gimli along with her, "Which is of course ridiculous… whoa!" The horse he was on suddenly reared up and galloped away as Éowyn lost her hold on the reins. Gimli fell off a short distance away and landed with a loud thump.

"Is your friend always like this?" Boromir heard Elizabeth ask Kat, who chuckled in answer. "I'll take that as a yes."

Kat threw her head back in laughter, something Boromir was happy to see. The two women continued conversing, as did Aragorn and Théoden beside him. After a while, Aragorn turned to him, "It is wonderful to see Kat happy again, is it not?" The ranger asked, the subject of their conversation walking arm in arm with her sister ahead of them.

"Aye that it is."

"You know she is as good as my sister, Boromir."

"I do, she has told me as much."

Aragorn smiled and nodded, "Kat is able to take care of herself, that much I have known since I met her north of Rivendell all those years ago. She has come a long way since then, but I still worry, particularly after her heart, for there is so much of it to break."

Boromir sighed, "Aragorn, I assure you that I will never actively try to hurt Katie in any way."

"Actively?"

"You know as well as I do that we are both stubborn people and may inadvertently hurt one another, which is why I am telling you that I will never go out of my way to make her feel pain. I have already caused her pain by nearly dying… I love her, Aragorn."

The other man stared at him for the longest time, "I will not argue with a declaration such as that," he finally said, "Kat has chosen you and you chose her, who am I to come between such a bond? Be there for her… brother."

Boromir smiled as Aragorn nudged his horse forward to move further up the group. So Aragorn approved of them, a good thing to know.

* * *

"_So how long have you and Boromir been together?_" Elizabeth asked in Ancient to the woman walking beside her.

"_What_?" Kat whipped her head around in surprise. "_It's that obvious_?" she replied in the same language.

Elizabeth laughed, "_Kat, dear, you could heat all of Atlantis with the looks you give each other, that and I saw the interaction between you two before Théodred's funeral and the two of you in the hallway afterwards. So…?_"

"_Alright, alright… we've known each other for almost five months, but have only really been together for a month or so._"

"_And…?_"

"_And I love him, Liz… others might think we're moving too fast, but…_"

"_It's a time of war and uncertainty. I understand,_" Elizabeth slipped an arm around Kat's waist, feeling the other woman do the same as they continued to walk.

"_Are you happy, Lizzie_?" Kat asked after a while.

Elizabeth shrugged, "_Yes and no. I'm still in a position to help people, still involved in politics, though it is different from ours_," she smiled when Kat chuckled, "_but… I also feel as if something's not right… not done quite yet._"

"_Maybe there's a part of yours in this thing that hasn't been played yet. Time will only tell_," Kat tightened her arm around Elizabeth's waist in a one-armed hug. "_What about you… any man in your life?_"

The darker brunette laughed, "_No… no, no man_."

"_I'm sensing a not yet or but here…_"

"_Well… there is Éomer_."

"_Really… Éowyn's brother?_"

"_Yes_," Elizabeth smiled. "_I look at him sometimes and… I get this feeling that there could be something more, but…_"

"_Neither one of you are ready yet_."

"_Yeah._"

"_Like I said, Liz, only time will tell. There's still time and a future for the two of you yet. Want my advice?_"

"_Is there a price for it?_" Elizabeth chuckled when Kat bumped her shoulder in annoyance.

"_No… my advice is tell him, Elizabeth. Tell him how you feel._"

"_But I don't know how I feel, Kat._"

"_Neither did I_," Kat smiled. "_Just go with what comes to mind the next time you see him._"

"_I think I will._"

"By the way…" Kat turned to her after they walked in a companionable silence, returning to English. "Did you give him a favor to wear before he was banished?"

"Yes, why?"

Kat smiled impishly, "Nothing… nothing…"

"Kathryn Athena Lattimer, you tell me right now."

"Full name isn't going to work, Elizabeth Anne Weir," Kat teased and ducked the incoming slap Elizabeth was aiming towards the back of her head. Laughing, Kat dashed away from the woman.

"Kat, you get back here right now!"


	15. Chapter 15

Kat was back on the horse she shared with Boromir, dosing sporadically throughout the morning. Aragorn and Éowyn were walking together, Legolas far ahead of their group, watching as Gamling and Háma rode by to scout out ahead. She was wide-awake when she heard screams and growls coming from where the two had gone. Aragorn gave his reins to Éowyn and ran up with Legolas.

"What is it? What do you see?" Théoden asked him.

"Wargs! We are under attack!" Aragorn answered, running back to the king. The refugees began to cry and panic. "Get them out of here!"

"All riders to the head of the column!" The king ordered.

"You're going to refuse if I ask you to go with the refugees, right?" Boromir asked her.

"Damn straight. You need all the fighters you can get." She watched as Éowyn protested Théoden's order to lead the people to Helm's Deep.

Elizabeth turned to Kat and nodded, knowing that the other woman would insist on fighting, "Come back to me in one piece, Kat!"

"I will!" She replied and unsheathed her sword, ready to fight the wargs as soon as they climbed over the hill.

"Charge!" Théoden yelled and the Rohirrim and warg fighters clashed head on.

Kat slashed at the warg riders as she and Boromir rode pass. One of the beasts reared up and its claws raked the length of Kat's right thigh, causing her to cry out in pain and fall from Niand, the wind knocked out of her when she painfully connected with the plain. The warg, now rider less, snarled at her as it approached. Clenching her teeth against the pain, Kat pushed herself up off the ground and readied her blade. The warg launched towards her and she quickly stepped to the side and brought her sword down on the back of the beast's neck, instantly killing it.

She turned around and blasted another with a handful of sky blue flames. An orc caught her from behind, wrapping its arms around her and forcing her to drop her sword. Her arms were trapped to her sides so she dropped her weight and rolled forward, making the orc smash its face into the ground while she got on top of it and slit its throat with her knife. While it gurgled its last breath, Kat tackled another orc, wrestling with it much like in Moria, slitting its throat and getting blood all over her face again. Kat retrieved her sword, breathing heavily, her heart pounding in her ears, as the battle wound down around her.

"Aragorn!" Legolas cried out and Kat looked around to see how many survived. Boromir rode over to her while their companions searched for Aragorn.

"Katie!" He jumped down from the horse and swept her up into his arms.

"I'm okay… I'm okay."

"No, you're not," he shook his head. "You're injured," Boromir drew back and looked down at her leg, which was bleeding slowly but surely.

"Look at it later, we have to find Aragorn," she gently pushed him away, grateful he understood her urgency to find their friend, and hobbled to where Legolas and Gimli were talking to a dying orc.

"Tell me what happened and I will ease your passing," Gimli threatened him.

"He's," the orc coughed, "dead. Took a little tumble off the cliff."

"You lie!" Kat screamed, grabbing the orc while Legolas looked over at the cliff. The orc merely laughed again before suddenly dying. She opened his fist and saw the Evenstar pendant that Aragorn had been wearing since they left Rivendell. Kat pressed the shaking hand not holding Aragorn's pendant to her mouth to stifle any sobs as tears sprang in her eyes. Clutching the Evenstar in her fist, Kat and Legolas ran to the edge of the cliff and looked down to see a great drop and rushing waters below… and no sign of Aragorn. Boromir and Gimli came to stand beside them. Boromir laid his hands on her shoulders in silent comfort.

"Get the wounded on horses!" Théoden ordered his men. "The wolves of Isengard will return… leave the dead." Legolas turned to the king, an expression of perplexed anger on his face while Kat collapsed to her knees, tears streaking down her face at the thought of Aragorn being dead. "Come," Théoden said as he put a hand on Legolas' shoulder, sparing a quick glance at the grief stricken Kat on the ground before he turned to his men.

* * *

Elizabeth sighed in relief when she saw the fortress of Helm's Deep in the distance. True, their job was far from over, but it was still good to see the stronghold. She pulled lightly on the reins in her hands. Éothain and Freda hadn't strayed far from her side once they had arrived in Edoras. She watched joyfully as they were reunited with their mother. The woman, Morwen, embraced Elizabeth in gratitude for caring for her children and returning them to her. Elizabeth simply smiled and expressed that it was her pleasure to take care of such wonderful and courageous children before leaving to find Éowyn.

The shieldmaiden was busy taking inventory of the food being stored in Helm's Deep. "Where is the rest?"

"This is all we could save, my lady."

She nodded and ordered, "Take it to the caves."

"Make way for the king!" Both of them turned when they heard Gamling's voice. They rushed down to meet the warriors.

"So few… so few of you have returned," Éowyn noted as Théoden dismounted.

"Our people are safe. We have paid for it with many lives."

"My lady…" Gimli approached Éowyn humbly, something obviously weighing on his mind and heart.

"Lord Aragorn… where is he?"

"He fell…" the dwarf confessed.

Elizabeth's attention was grabbed by the sight of a blood covered Kat sitting sideways across the saddle and in Boromir's arms as the warrior rode up to her. "I thought I told you to come back to me in one piece, Kat."

"You said nothing of the sort," she protested weakly, grimacing in pain as Legolas lifted her down off the horse, the hasty field bandage on her thigh was already red with her blood.

Elizabeth could see clean tear tracks on Kat's face and knew the woman was internalizing her grief over Lord Aragorn being gone. "I did too, now let's have a look at this wound," she wisely avoided mentioning Aragorn to Kat, choosing instead to focus on more immediate concerns such as Kat's leg.

"Can we get somewhere else, please? This thing hurts like a son of a bitch."

Elizabeth smiled as Boromir swept Kat up into his arms despite her protests and carried her up to the hall. He set her down by one of the inner columns right outside the main hall where she could watch the comings and goings, but still resting her leg. '_Smart man_,' Elizabeth thought, Boromir knew Kat's personality well enough to know that she wanted to be involved no matter if she was injured or not. "_Now_ can I look at it?"

"Yeah sure," Kat sucked in a quick breath when the bandage was pulled away from her thigh, exposing the still stinging lacerations to the cooling air. Elizabeth stopped a nearby soldier and asked him to bring a fresh cloth and some water and bandages. Kat sat silently, occasionally wincing in pain, while Elizabeth cleaned the claw marks, then stitched and bandaged them neatly, "You've improved."

Elizabeth smiled, "Carson would be proud, I'm sure… Éomer used to get injured in skirmishes and I was the only one who could force him to sit still long enough for bandages besides Éowyn."

Kat laughed, "You've so got it bad. _Ouch_!" she yelped when Elizabeth smacked her arm.

"None of that, thank you."

* * *

"_Le abdollen_," Kat opened her eyes to see a very ragged and wet looking Aragorn standing in front of Legolas. The two men smiled at each other. "You look terrible," Kat had to agree with Legolas' dry statement, Aragorn looked like complete crap.

Aragorn stopped in front of where she was reclining against the same column Boromir put her down hours ago. "You've looked better. Maul another orc again?"

"Funny, really funny," she retorted and motioned her left hand that she wanted help in standing. Aragorn quickly pulled her up onto her feet and into a bone-crushing hug. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, breathing a sigh of immense relief and spilling a few tears that he wasn't dead. "_I'm glad you're alive, but don't ever do that to me again_," she whispered into his neck in Elvish, a faint sob escaping before she could help it.

He pressed a brotherly kiss to the side of her head, "_You know I cannot promise that, Kat… but I'm glad you're alive as well, even though you're injured._"

She chuckled through her tears, pulling back to inspect his face, "It's but a flesh wound, it'll heal. I have something for you," she reached into her belt purse while he held her up and pulled out the Evenstar pendant. "Arwen would kill both of us if you lost this… so, try not to again, alright?"

He smiled and gently kissed the top of her head, "_Hannon le_, Kat."

"Boromir's inside with the king, care to lend a hand to your wounded sister?"

"Not at all." Aragorn helped her inside the keep where the king was surprised to see both of them. With Boromir and Aragorn's assistance, Kat was lowered down onto a bench at one of the tables, Boromir sitting behind her to allow her the ability to lean back against his side while she propped her leg up.

"A great host, you say?" Théoden asked Aragorn.

"All of Isengard is emptied."

"How many?"

"Ten thousand strong at least."

Kat's head lolled forward in exhaustion, her right hand coming up to pinch the bridge of her nose. They would never be able to defeat an army of ten thousand Uruk-hai by the little amount of men they had.

"Ten thousand?!" Apparently Théoden was in agreement.

"It is an army bred for a single purpose: to destroy the world of men. They will be here by nightfall."

"Let them come!" the king walked away.

Kat hobbled next to Boromir as they followed Théoden around while he ordered his men. "We will cover the causeway and the gate from above," the king was saying to Aragorn, "No army has ever breached the Deeping Wall or set foot inside the Hornburg."

"This is no rabble of mindless orcs," Gimli spoke up. "These are Uruk-hai, their armor is thick and their shields broad."

"I have fought many wars, Master Dwarf, I know how to defend my own keep. They will break upon this fortress like water on rock. Saruman's hordes will pillage and burn; we've seen it before. Crops can be resown; homes rebuilt, within these walls, we will outlast them."

"They do not come to destroy Rohan's crops or villages. They come to destroy its people, down to the last child!" Aragorn protested.

In an instant, Théoden was in Aragorn's face, his voice dangerously low, "What would you have me do? Look at my men. Their courage hangs by a thread. If this is to be our end, then I would have them make such an end as to be worthy of remembrance."

"Send out riders, my lord," Aragorn pleaded. "You must call for aid."

"And who will come?" he scoffed. "Elves? Dwarves? We are not so lucky in our friends as you. The old alliances are dead."

"Gondor will answer!"

"Gondor? Where was Gondor when the Westfold fell? Where was Gondor when our enemies closed in around us? Where was Gon…" Théoden broke off in exasperation, "No, my Lord Aragorn, we are alone," the king insisted and walked away, issuing orders as he went.

"How could my father have let this happen?" Boromir wondered quietly as they all stood in a group to confer.

"He might not have known, Mir," Kat squeezed his hand, "not with Saruman's influence in Rohan. Any communication between the kingdoms could have easily been cut off."

"Kat is right. It is up to us now," Aragorn nodded.


	16. Chapter 16

Kat limped behind Aragorn and Legolas as they walked against the oncoming tide of women and children heading into the caves.

"We'll place reserves along the wall," Aragorn was saying. "They can support the archers from above the gate."

"Aragorn, you must rest!" Legolas protested.

"You're no use half alive," Kat agreed. He merely looked pointedly down at her leg and back up to her entirely too pale face, raising a solitary eyebrow. She glared at him in response as Boromir, Gimli, and Elizabeth joined them.

"Kat, you need to follow your own advice," Aragorn told her. "Go into the caves."

"No."

"Katie," Boromir gently turned her to face him, "Please go into the caves."

"I can fight! You know I can!"

"Yes, I do and this has nothing to do with whether or not you can or that you're a woman. Women are more than capable of fighting, I have seen that," He soothed. "But you _are_ wounded, you need to rest that leg like you have not been doing and help protect and guide the women and children in the caves alongside Elizabeth and Éowyn." Kat sighed when she saw his point and leaned forward to rest her head against his chest and he dropped a kiss to the crown of her head, "I don't want to lose you, Katie," he told her quietly, holding her close

"I don't want to lose you either, Mir," she replied thickly, close to tears.

"Stay in the caves, protect the defenseless and get them out of the caves when the wall falls." She caught the usage of _when_ not_ if_ and nodded into his chest, her arms coming to wrap around his torso tightly. "I love you, Katie."

"I love you too, Mir," Kat drew back and kissed him fiercely, tears beginning to spill down her cheeks as she felt his arms tighten around her. "Bring down as many of those bastards as you can, okay?" she asked, burying her face in his neck.

She felt him chuckle, "Okay." Boromir kissed her again before letting her go.

Kat embraced Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli tightly before she let Elizabeth lead her into the caves. Elizabeth found an area where they could rest while Éowyn went to help the refugees. They watched as men, young and old, were drafted for the battle. Elizabeth squeezed her hand, "Many have seen too much of war."

Kat huffed a bitter chuckle, "Or none at all… what is the world coming to when we send the young and the old off to war?"

"Desperate to survive, just like we were on Atlantis."

"True," Kat nodded. "That is true." She reached into her belt purse and pulled out her leather bound journal and pencils and began to sketch everything she could think of, mostly that of her journey from Rivendell and the members of the Fellowship, biding her time and distracting herself while they waited for the army of Uruk-hai to come and for the battle to begin.

* * *

Boromir was in the armory with Aragorn as weapons and gear were being distributed to the draftees. Aragorn picked up a battered sword, looked at it and then tossed it back, "Farmers, ferriers, stable boys… these are no soldiers."

"Most have seen too many winters," Gimli noted.

"Or too few," Boromir agreed.

"Look at them," Legolas shook his head, "They are frightened, I can see it in their eyes." The men all around them fell silent as the elf continued to speak to Aragorn in elvish, "_And they should be, three hundred against ten thousand!_"

"_They have more hope of defending themselves here than at Edoras_," Aragorn retorted.

"Aragorn, _they cannot win this fight. They are all going to die!_"

"Then I shall die as one of them!" Aragorn shouted and stalked out of the armory and Legolas made to go after him but was stopped by Gimli.

"Let him go, lad, let him go."

Boromir let Aragorn have a few minutes of peace before he followed the ranger outside. Aragorn was sitting on the steps leading to the main hall, Boromir was about to join him when the ranger began speaking to a young lad in armor, holding a sword and looking around nervously, '_First time in battle_' he thought.

"Give me your sword," Aragorn told the lad. "What is your name?"

"Haleth, son of Háma, my lord," the boy answered timidly and handed the ranger his sword. "The men are saying that we will not live out the night. They say that it is hopeless…"

Aragorn gave the battered sword a few swings, it hummed through the night air, "This is a good sword, Haleth, son of Háma." He handed the sword back to Haleth and leaned in close, putting a hand on his shoulder, "There is always hope." Aragorn turned to go back inside and stopped short when he saw Boromir leaning against a column, "I didn't see you there, Boromir."

"Just observing," Boromir shrugged.

The man smirked, "You have been around Kat too much, brother, you're starting to sound like her."

"I'm taking that as a compliment, just so you know," Boromir grinned while they walked back to the armory. Both of them donned their battle gear in silence, Legolas coming in at some point and handing Aragorn his sword when the man reached for it.

"We have trusted you this far… you have not led us astray. Forgive me, I was wrong to despair," the elf admitted quietly.

"There is nothing to forgive, Legolas," they smiled and clapped one another on the shoulders. All three of them looked at Gimli as he walked up to the, struggling with his chain mail.

"If we had time, I'd get this adjusted," he dropped the bundle and the chain mail landed on the floor with plenty of length to spare. "It's a little tight across the chest." They all bit back smiles and a horn sounded in the background.

"That is no orc horn," Legolas said and they ran out to the battlements. An army of Lothlórien and Rivendell elves marched up the causeway into the Hornburg led by Haldir. The Rohirrim soldiers looked upon them in wonderment and delight as they passed.

"How is this possible?" Théoden asked Haldir.

"I bring word from Elrond of Rivendell," the flaxen haired elf responded cordially. "An alliance once existed between elves and men. Long ago, we fought and died together," he looked up to see Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas, and Gimli running down the steps and the elf smiled. "We have come to honor that allegiance."

Aragorn bowed, "_Mae govannen_, Haldir." He then grabbed Haldir in an embrace, initially stunning the elf, but he returned the hug lightly. "You are most welcome!" Legolas and Haldir clasped each other on the shoulder while he and Boromir nodded to one another.

"We are proud to fight alongside men once more," Haldir told the king.

* * *

Elizabeth was startled from her light doze when she heard Kat suddenly gasp, "What, what it is?"

"Haldir?" Kat murmured to herself, her head in her hands as she struggled to sort out her thoughts and magic. "What the hell?"

"What's going on, Kat?" Elizabeth asked her, wrapping an arm around Kat's shoulders. "Take a deep breath and tell me."

The woman did as she was told, "Haldir is here… but that's not possible unless Lothlórien has sent aid."

"So we have a better chance?"

"I think so."

"I think Teyla's '_thank the Ancestors_' phrase is appropriate."

Kat chuckled, "Yeah, I think so… you know I haven't thought about Atlantis in a long time."

"Neither have I," Elizabeth agreed quietly.

"Do you think they did alright? Do you think they're still alive?"

"I do," Elizabeth responded quietly after thinking. "John always had a good head on his shoulders, especially with Teyla, Rodney, and Ronon to keep him balanced."

"Do you think they were able to get into contact with Earth?"

"I like to hope so."

"Me too."

* * *

Boromir took in a deep breath and let it out slowly when he saw the army of Uruk-hai march closer and closer to Helm's Deep. Aragorn hadn't been joking, the army was huge and the thousands of torches carried by the Uruk-hai made it seem even larger. He stood behind Gimli and Legolas, giving him a perfect view of the battlefield.

Unfortunately for the dwarf, he couldn't see over the wall, "You could have picked a better spot," he grumbled to Legolas, who smirked in response. Aragorn approached them and stood beside them. "Well, lad, whatever luck you live by, let us hope it lasts the night."

Thunder rumbled overhead and lightning flashed, '_Well that's why my scars had been hurting_,' Boromir mused internally. Part of him wished Kat was at his side, she would have some sort of dry comment to lighten the mood, but the rest of him knew that she was safer down in the caves, particularly with her leg the way it was.

"Your friends are with you, Aragorn," Legolas said over his shoulder.

"Let's hope they last the night." Boromir chuckled at that as Aragorn moved further down the wall. The marching and thumping of the army grew louder and closer, lightening flashed and it began to rain. Not a drizzle or a light rain, no. Big, heavy drops that left none unscathed.

"Legolas."

"Yes, Boromir?"

"Are you and Gimli still holding that tally bet?"

"Of course… would you like to join?"

"Definitely."

"Good, I could use some competition," both Legolas and Boromir chuckled at the outright growl that came from Gimli. Boromir could hear Aragorn shouting to the elf warriors in elvish, Legolas translated it as "show no mercy for you shall be shown none" for the Gondorian. The Uruk-hai leader raised his sword and commanded the army to stop with an animalistic cry. The Uruks stopped and growled in anticipation of the upcoming battle.

Gimli jumped and strained to see, "What's happening out there?" he demanded.

"Shall I describe it to you?" Legolas asked, rain plastering his pale hair to his head as he looked down at the dwarf with a grin, "or would you like me to find you a box?" Gimli laughed good-naturedly as the Uruk leader cried out twice. The Uruk-hai army started to roar and thump the ground with their spears.

* * *

"What's that?" Elizabeth asked as they heard deep booms echoing throughout the caves. They were muffled, so it wasn't anyone coming into the caves.

"Intimidation strategy," Kat responded softly, watching the fear creep into the eyes of the women and children around them. "All bluster and show, meant to scare the opposition. It's a show of force… Aragorn, Legolas, Boromir, Gimli, and the king will see right through it… can't say much for the rest of our fighters though."

"So it could work and it could not?"

"Pretty much."


	17. Chapter 17

"_Hold!_" Aragorn shouted when an arrow from the keep was released prematurely, hitting an Uruk-hai in the neck and causing the army to stop their roaring and thumping. With a hollow groan, the Uruk that had been shot collapsed to the ground and the other Uruk-hai bared their teeth and roared with anger. The Uruk leader shoved his weapon into the air with a cry and the Uruk-hai army charged.

"And now it begins," Boromir muttered, shifting his shield higher on his arm while the elves and Legolas notched arrows to their bows and rained them down on the Uruk-hai below. More arrows were released from above and while they hit many targets, the army kept advancing, more replacing those that had fallen.

"Send them to me! C'mon!" Gimli shouted impatiently. Boromir ducked a wayward crossbow bolt as the Uruks started to load ladders onto the walls, pushing them up with their long spears.

"_Ladders!_" Aragorn yelled in elvish.

"Shit," Boromir muttered when he saw them and the ranger looked at him with an amused expression before huffing a laugh and moving further down the line.

"Good!" Gimli shouted, readying his axe.

"_Swords! Swords!_" Aragorn ordered the elves. Large Uruk berserkers climbed over the wall and close combat began. Boromir ducked beneath a crazed swing and gutted one of them with his sword before fighting the steady stream of climbing Uruks.

"Legolas, two already!" Gimli shouted gleefully behind him.

"I'm on seventeen!" the elf replied promptly.

Gimli was outraged, "Argh! I'll have no point-ear outscoring me!"

"Nineteen!"

Boromir chuckled at their exchange, trust the two of them to make battle more enjoyable. He met up with Aragorn and the two of them managed to push down one of the ladders, crushing those below, but the oncoming flood of Uruk-hai climbing the Deeping Wall seemed unstoppable.

There was no chance to stop and rest and catch a breath as Boromir battled the never-ending sea of Uruk-hai alongside Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and elves. Gimli was currently standing on the wall between two ladders, hacking away at Uruk-hai as they came up, and keeping count. Aragorn was shouting at the elves, pointing towards the causeway where a group of Uruk-hai was advancing up the stone causeway towards the gate, using their broad shields to block off attacks from above. It didn't protect their sides, however, as the elven archers picked them off.

"Aragorn!" Boromir got the attention of the ranger and pointed down at the Uruk-hai below where they had formed a path and a Berserker carrying a sparking and smoking torch was running towards the sluice gate at the base of the Deeping Wall.

"_Bring him down_, Legolas!" Aragorn ordered their friend. The elf shot the Uruk-hai in the shoulder but it kept going. "_Kill him! Kill him!_" Legolas shot it again, it stumbled and then threw itself and the torch into the drainage gate. There was a brief pause before all hell broke loose in the form of an enormous explosion that blew away a good chunk of the thick wall.

* * *

Kat gasped as the caves around them shook and groaned, "What the hell…"

"Do you know anything?" Elizabeth asked her quietly while the women around them looked about and cried out in fear.

The woman concentrated, her eyes tightly shut, breathing deeply and quashing down the rising fear that her friends were harmed, "_The… the Deeping Wall has been breached…_" she told Elizabeth in Ancient. "_A… bomb of some sort? If that's possible. The army of Uruk-hai is pouring in, but they haven't reached the Keep yet… Elizabeth, these women need to get out of here._"

Elizabeth nodded, "Éowyn!" The blonde shieldmaiden approached them quickly after Elizabeth had motioned for her. "Is there another way out of these caves?"

"There's a passage, it's quite small, but it leads through the mountains to the other side."

The former leader of Atlantis nodded again and looked over at Kat. Kat was resolutely staring ahead, tears in her eyes but certain, hands shaking, but she nodded to Elizabeth anyways, knowing what the woman was planning. "I want you to take the women and children and lead them down that passage to safety. Kat and I… Kat and I will stay here to make sure you have as much of a head start as you possibly can."

"What? _No!_"

"You have to do this, Éowyn," Kat said. "There's no one else who could lead these people like you can." Elizabeth hauled Kat to her feet before Éowyn could protest any more at their request. The two of them started up the passage slowly, Kat leaning heavily on Elizabeth as they walked. "You ready, Liz?" Kat asked softly as she leaned up against the cave wall behind an outcropping.

Elizabeth smiled from across the way, "No, but I'm glad you're not insisting on staying here alone."

"Neither of you are alone," They whipped their heads around to see Éowyn standing behind them, hair tied back and a sword in hand. "I can help, Elizabeth, I did initially teach you how to fight before my brother took over."

Elizabeth smiled wryly as Kat asked, "Who's leading the women and children?"

"Others know the path as well as I do, they'll be safe and they have a head start."

Kat and Elizabeth looked at each other briefly before nodding to the woman. They could use all the help they could get.

* * *

Boromir could faintly hear the sounds of battle going on around him. Everything was muffled, almost muted, moving at a sluggish pace, and there was a ringing in his ears. He looked around and saw Aragorn knocked out cold a short distance away. Gimli jumped down from the wall and lands on the Uruk-hai charging towards the two men, landing on the Uruks and taking them out at he stood. "Argh!"

"Aragorn!" Boromir grabbed his sword after willing himself more alert and crawled towards the other man.

Aragorn shook himself awake and saw Gimli falling, "Gimli!" He yelled to the elves behind him, ordering them to shoot at the Uruk-hai. Both he and Boromir got to their feet and Aragorn shouted again, "_Charge!_" They led the elves in a charge towards the Uruk-hai streaming in. Aragorn rushed to Gimli's side and picked him up out of the rushing water. Boromir saw Legolas grab a shield from where he was on the top of the battlements and send it sliding across the stone walkway. He then hopped on top of it and rode it down the steps, shooting arrows as he went, before kicking the shield up to stab an Uruk in the chest and neck as he landed at the bottom. Still more and more Uruk-hai poured through the gap in the Deeping Wall.

"Aragorn!" Théoden yelled to the ranger. "Fall back to the Keep! Get your men out of there!"

"To the Keep! Pull back to the Keep! Haldir, to the Keep!" Aragorn shouted to the elves and to Haldir up at the top of the wall. Haldir nodded and turned back to fighting the Uruks in front of him. He ordered his men back to the Keep while he hacked at a few more Uruks. Suddenly, he was stabbed in his arm, Haldir bared his teeth and chopped down the Uruk responsible before retreating back to the Keep.

Boromir looked over his shoulder to see Aragorn and Gimli join the defenders at the Keep's gate.

"Hold them!" the wounded Théoden ordered them.

Aragorn ran up and stabbed at the Uruk-hai through the broken gate, "How long do you need?"

"As long as you can give me!"

"Gimli, with me! Boromir, up on the battlements with Legolas!"

Boromir nodded and ran up to their elf friend, hearing the king order for timbers to brace the gate with. As men braced the gate with wood and nails, Aragorn and Gimli fought with Uruk-hai on the causeway outside. Boromir and Legolas were having a trial up top when the army fired enormous grappling hooks over the battlements to raise huge ladders covered in Uruk-hai. Legolas took aim when another one was raised and shot one of the ropes, causing it to fall back onto the Uruk-hai army. Boromir watched his back, slashing away at any Uruk that came close.

"Aragorn!" Legolas called to their friends below and threw them a rope. Aragorn grabbed Gimli with one hand and the rope with the other as Legolas, Boromir, and other Rohirrim warriors pulled them up the wall. More and more Uruk-hai stormed the outer wall of the keep. Théoden had no choice but to order a full retreat inside the hall. Boromir pulled Gimli along behind him while Legolas covered their rear, firing arrows at the advancing army.

* * *

"Kat what's going on?"

The woman closed her eyes and held up a hand in a silent gesture for patience as she listened with her ears and magic, "The Uruks have overtaken the Hornburg. Our fighters have retreated back into the hall of the keep…"

"And…?

"And we've got a couple of Uruks heading this way."

"How many?"

"No less than three, no more than five."

"Good." They waited in silence, hearing the heavy plodding footsteps of the Uruk-hai drawing nearer. Kat held up three fingers, silently counting down to zero, and then attacked the small band of warriors. Elizabeth and Éowyn followed suit quickly, both taking out an Uruk-hai for themselves and they turned in time to see the last of the four Uruk-hai being burned to death by Kat's sky blue flames as she looked on calmly. "Nice work, Kat."

"I've been practicing," she grinned. "That should be it for a while, this was just a scouting party to see where the women and children went, they won't be missed for at least a few hours."

"So we wait?" Éowyn asked.

Kat nodded, "We wait."


	18. Chapter 18

Boromir helped Aragorn and Legolas upend a table to shore up the door of the hall when he heard the defeat in Théoden's voice. Aragorn turned to the king, "You said this fortress would never fall while your men defend it! They still defend it! They have _died_ defending it!"

"So much death. What can men do against such reckless hate?"

Aragorn paused, remembering Gandalf's charge of him. He thought for a moment and then turned and faced the king, "Ride out with me. Ride out and meet them."

Théoden's eyes lit with a new sense of determination, "For death and glory."

"For Rohan. For your people."

"The sun is rising," Boromir turned to the window at Gimli's statement and saw a faint light streaming through. He remembered Gandalf's promise of returning with the two thousand men riding with Éomer in the north and he hoped that the wizard had made good on that promise.

"Yes…" the king nodded, "Yes! The horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in the deep. One. Last. Time!"

"Yes!" Gimli dashed from the room to ascend the steps of the horn of Helm Hammerhand.

Théoden put a hand on Aragorn and Boromir's shoulders, "Let this be the hour when we draw swords together." They mounted their horses, "Fell deeds awake. Now for wrath! Now for ruin! And a red dawn!" Théoden adorned his helmet as the sharp blast of the horn rumbled through Helm's Deep. "_FORTH EORLINGAS!_"

He led the charge out of the keep and into the Hornburg, all of them slashing at the Uruk-hai as they galloped by. Without pause, they stormed out of the battered gate and down the stone causeway, right into the heart of the waiting Uruk-hai army. In the midst of battle, Boromir saw Aragorn look up to the east and he followed suit.

There, on top of the ridge was a pale white rider, nearly invisible against the rising sun and paling sky. Boromir grinned when he saw another rider join the white wizard and even more lined up along the ridge.

"Éomer!" Théoden cried joyfully as the Rohirrim and the white rider charged down the slope. Half of the army turned to face them, long pikes ready to slaughter them. As the riders drew closer, the sun rose behind them, blinding the Uruk-hai enough that they shielded their eyes and forgot about the weapons in their hands. The riders crashed into them at full speed.

With the help of the riders, the remaining Uruk-hai at Helm's Deep fled from the battlefield into a forest that Boromir could have sworn was not there the night before. Éomer rode back and forth in front of his men, "Stay out of the forest! Keep away from the trees!" They watched as the trees of Fangorn, having come to their rescue, began to move and the shrill screaming of the Uruk-hai filled the air as all of them went in, but none would escape.

"I think I'm beginning to like trees a lot more than I had before," Boromir said wryly and Aragorn chuckled beside him.

* * *

Kat walked as fast as she could once they exited the caves. The state of the women and children was the last thing on her mind right now. Elizabeth was following her, begging her to move slower, not that her words were having much impact. Kat stopped short when she saw the familiar form of Aragorn in front of her, not feeling Elizabeth bumping into her back at the abrupt change in motion. She practically ran up to him and threw her arms around his neck, startling the tired man.

"I'm alright, Kat."

"Good," she sighed and drew back, taking in the weariness of his eyes and the numerous bloodstains mixing with sweat and dirt and grime on his clothes, "You have certainly looked better."

Aragorn chuckled and put a hand on either side of Kat's head and gently kissed the top of it, "You certainly have a way of making people feel better, Kat."

"You're damn right I do… where is he?" Aragorn nodded in a direction and Kat barreled onward. "Boromir!" She searched each face as she wove through the crowds of men, elves, and women and children. Her task led her from the keep and along the broken Deeping Wall where she saw Boromir standing next to Gimli in the yard below. The dwarf had his helmet off and was smoking while sitting on top of a dead Uruk-hai, his axe buried in the head. "Boromir!"

He looked up as she stepped around the dead bodies still littering the battlement. Out of the corner of her eye, Kat saw him start to move towards her while she nearly slipped and slid down the drenched, crumbling stairs. As soon as she hit the bottom, strong arms swept her up into and embrace so tight, Kat could swear that some of her vertebrae cracked from the force. Her feet dangled off the ground, but she could care less because her friends were safe, and so was Boromir. She tightened her arms around him and buried her face in his neck, "You're okay…"

"I am," Boromir smiled, pressing a kiss to the side of her head and putting her back down on the ground, "I am, Katie."

She grinned when she heard Legolas and Gimli arguing next to them. "Final count…" Legolas said as he walked up to the dwarf, "Forty-two."

"Forty-two?" Gimli replied, amused. "Oh, that's not bad for a pointy-eared elvish princeling. I myself and sitting pretty on forty-_three_."

Legolas notched and arrow and shot the orc Gimli was currently sitting on, "Forty-three."

"He was already dead."

"He was twitching," the elf protested.

"He was twitching… because he's got my axe embedded in his nervous system!" Gimli moved his axe, causing the dead Uruk-hai's limbs to flop around like a fish on a deck.

Boromir chuckled and pulled Kat close, "How is the leg?"

"Better than it was, but still healing."

"You haven't used your magic on it?"

Kat shook her head, "I was saving it for helping out after the battle."

He had to smile at Kat's willingness to help others no matter how she herself felt, "I love you."

She smiled, "I love you too." Boromir bent down and gave her a sound kiss, Kat returned it gladly, her hands migrating to either side of his head as she parted her lips to deepen the kiss, and her thumbs gently caressing his cheeks once the kiss was through. "I'm really, really glad you're okay… that all of you are okay."

"Me too."

"But," she stopped him from continuing, "I don't want to not be at your side whenever there is another battle, Boromir. It's not that I can't be without you or that I can't be separated from you or any nonsense like that. It's more that I drive myself crazy with worry and the fact that I can and should help. I feel useless when I'm forced to watch from the sidelines… even though I wasn't born in Middle Earth like all of you, I did grow up here for a time, I have no less a reason to fight in this war, and just as much to lose should we fail. I don't want to survive on the sidelines, I want to feel like I've personally done all I can to help."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

He nodded, "Okay. Wherever I go, you go. What is it?" he asked after her stunned silence.

"I wasn't expecting you to agree so quickly," she smiled as Boromir chuckled and kissed her again. "I'm going to go help with the wounded, okay?"

"Go, I'll be here."

* * *

Kat inspected the wound on Haldir's arm; the elf was lucky to get out of there alive. She gently probed the inflamed skin around the wound, taking in the darkening color of it before reaching into her belt purse and pulling out two dark green leaves that she placed on top of Haldir's stab wound and bandaged them efficiently, "That should hold you long enough until you return to either Caras Galadhon or Rivendell. It will hold off the infection as well as the dark effect of the Uruk-hai blades. Looks like they took some lessons from Moria orcs in that aspect. Return to your brethren and you'll recover fully. Also, stay out of fighting, Haldir."

"Of course, Lady Kathryn," Haldir inclined his head respectfully and she smiled before moving on to the next wounded person.

"Katie." She looked up to see Boromir watching her with a smile on his face.

"What's up?" He looked confused at her statement as though not sure how to answer it and Kat had to smile. "What is it, I mean?"

"King Théoden wants to go seek out Saruman at Isengard. He's leaving soon."

Kat nodded, "Just let me finish this up really quick and I'll be right there."

"Make sure you tell Elizabeth."

"She'll probably insist on coming along, you know that right?"

"I do."

Kat shrugged, "The more the merrier I suppose." That only confused Boromir and her laughter added to the confusion.

* * *

_And so ends the Two Towers portion of Chase the Morning, stay tuned for Return of the King!_

_-Dee_


	19. Chapter 19

True to her prediction, Elizabeth insisted on joining their group to Isengard. She was currently guiding the horse she shared with Kat behind Éomer's as they picked their way along a narrow winding path in Fangorn Forest with Gandalf in the lead.

"You're pretty good at this," Kat spoke up quietly, clenching her teeth when a jump over a large root jostled her still wounded leg, "Riding, I mean. We couldn't even get you to pilot a puddle jumper back on Atlantis."

Elizabeth chuckled, remembering those arguments between the three heads of Atlantis, "While I was happy to ride in the jumpers, I wasn't entirely convinced that it was safe for me to pilot them even after the successful ATA gene therapy. I also wasn't always this way with riding, just ask Éomer."

"She was horrible," the blonde warrior supplied over his shoulder, obviously listening to their conversation.

"I got better!" Elizabeth insisted as Kat chortled behind her. "I even know how to fight from horseback now."

"See, Teyla and I told you learning the banto sticks would come in handy some day."

"How's the leg feeling?" Her sister asked after a few moments of silence traveling through the dense trees.

"Itches like crazy and still hurts."

"We'll have to look at it once we make camp tonight. I don't want it getting infected… you do have some herbs we could use, right?"

"Of course I do. I always do."

Since Kat was riding behind her, she couldn't see Elizabeth roll her eyes, "Not always, I clearly remember there was that one time that you didn't."

"Oh, come on, that was our first planet trip in the Pegasus Galaxy, I wasn't expecting to need my herbs on Athos when we were simply going for a reconnaissance mission since Atlantis was flooding. How was I supposed to know the Wraith would attack the settlement and there would be a battle?"

"That's your excuse?"

"Well, yeah, it is!"

"What a lousy excuse!"

"It is not!" Kat huffed. "I hadn't had time to grab them from Carson since we were quite literally just unpacking our gear and I didn't know any of the indigenous herbs of the Pegasus Galaxy until Teyla showed me after those first couple of heinous missions."

"Right… you were on SG-1 for seven years and you never learned to expect the unexpected. I don't buy it," Elizabeth grinned as Kat grumbled behind her. They emerged from the forest to see the large black stone walls of Isengard partially collapsed and two hobbits sitting on top one part, eating and smoking pipe weed. One of them stood while the other held up his tankard.

"Welcome, my lords," the one standing greeted and added once he saw Elizabeth and Kat, "and my ladies, to Isengard!"

"You young rascals!" Gimli shouted at them in annoyance, "A merry hunt you've led us on, and now we find you feasting and… and smoking!"

Kat chuckled at that statement, the dwarf was a bigger smoker than any of the hobbits combined. Her amusement only grew with Pippin's returning remark, "We are sitting on the field of victory enjoying a few well-earned comforts." Merry blew out a cloud of smoke in agreement, "The salted pork is particularly good."

"Salted pork?" Kat could see Gimli's mouth watering from here.

Gandalf shook his head, "Hobbits…" he muttered under his breath.

"We're under orders from Treebeard! He's taken over management of Isengard," Merry nodded. The two hobbits joined them, Merry riding behind Aragorn and Pippin behind Boromir. Their horses sloshed through the flooded ruins of Isengard as they rode towards the tower of Orthanc.

"Young master Gandalf," a large Ent rumbled as they drew near.

"Not many people you find who call Gandalf young," Kat quipped and her impish smirk grew when Gandalf threw her an annoyed look over his shoulder.

"I'm… glad you've come. Wood and water, stock and stone I can master," the Ent continued, "but there's a wizard to manage here… locked in his tower."

"And there, Saruman must remain under your guard, Treebeard."

"Let's just have his head and be done with it!" Gimli suggested.

"No!" the white wizard barked. "He has no power anymore."

"The filth of Saruman is washing away," Treebeard nodded. "Trees will come back to live here."

They waited while Gandalf talked with Saruman. He expelled Saruman from the order of wizards and broke his staff. Saruman was confined to his tower and they were just about to leave when Pippin hopped off and landed in the water, "Pippin!" Aragorn called out to him, but the hobbit ignored the ranger and instead reached down into the murky water to pull up a Palantír.

"What's that?" Elizabeth asked after Kat gasped.

"It's a seeing-stone, one of seven used by the Númenórean kingdoms of old. They were primarily used for communication, but… with most of them lost, who knows who is using them now."

"Sauron, most likely…" Boromir supplied next to them. "Faramir read once that there was one in Minas Ithil… the place we now know as Minas Morgul, but Sauron overtook it and now it's the Witch King's lair."

Gandalf took the Palantír from Pippin and they continued on their way out of Isengard. Boromir gently lifted Kat down from the horse while Elizabeth went to go help set up camp after they had reached the other side of Fangorn. They were still a couple days ride from Edoras, where Éowyn and other men had helped settle in the refugees as well as watch over the Golden Hall until the king's return.

"Kat, over here," Elizabeth beckoned her over to the tent she had set up in the campsite. "Let's have a look at that leg."

"If we must…"

"We must, now take off your breeches and sit," Elizabeth commanded before she dropped the tent flap, obscuring the two women from view to the rest of the camp. Kat did as she was told and with Elizabeth's help, settled down on the pile of furs wearing only her shirt and small clothes. Elizabeth unwrapped the soiled bandage around Kat's thigh, frowning when she saw mottled and bruised skin around inflamed claw marks, "Infected… damn it."

"Do what you have to," Kat sighed. "The herbs are in my belt purse like you know."

"I do." Elizabeth peered out of the tent and spotted who she was looking for, "Boromir, Aragorn!"

"Oh no… Elizabeth…" Kat groaned, covering her face with her hands as the two men swiftly entered the tent, wondering why the lady had called them over. "Really?"

"Yes, really," her friend retorted. "You squirm. Aragorn knows about herb lore and Boromir's here to keep you from moving around too much. Now hush."

Kat grumbled a bit under her breath as Elizabeth and Aragorn figured out the best thing to put on her wound. Boromir gently rubbed her knuckles with his thumb when she slipped her hand in his. She nodded when her sister and the ranger turned back to her, a paste ready to be applied to the claw marks.

"This may hurt, Kat," Aragorn warned her as he placed his hands on her shins right below her knees, ready to prevent her from kicking out at them.

"I'll deal with it," Kat replied as Boromir held her down by a hand on her shoulder and an arm across her abdomen. "Go ahead, Elizabeth."

"Ready?"

"Just get on with it, please," Kat practically snapped, the throb in her thigh having increased after the bandages came off and the wounds were exposed to the cool air. Elizabeth nodded and carefully applied the paste to the wounds. She had barely touched them when Kat strained against Boromir and Aragorn, "_Son of a fucking bitch!_"

"We told you it would probably hurt."

"I swear by the fucking Mother, Elizabeth_ if you don't finish putting that fucking crap on me…_"

"I'm moving as quickly as I can!"

"Well move faster!" Kat barked.

Boromir moved to where both of his hands were on Kat's shoulders, "Katie, you need to calm down."

"Mir, do me a favor and shut up, okay?"

"No, I won't. Not until you calm down, you're only going to make this harder."

Kat stopped fighting and whimpered, "Oh Gods, it hurts, Mir…"

"I know, I know," he smoothed her hair back from her clammy forehead, the sweat cold against his lips as he gently kissed her there. "We've got to make sure every bit is covered to help with the infection. Breathe, Katie, breathe like you do when you're meditating." She let out a shaky breath before taking a deep one in, her eyes shut tight, a few tears leaking out from beneath the lids, a furrow between her brows while her whole body shook from the effort to keep as still as she possibly could, "That's it, Katie, keep breathing."

Elizabeth finished putting the paste on Kat's thigh and she put a pad of bandages on top of the goop, "I'm about to bind these, so hold her down." Kat bucked against her captors as Elizabeth wrapped her thigh, putting pressure on the wounds and driving the stinging and burning paste deeper into them. Kat's fingers gripped Boromir's bicep hard enough to bruise until he felt them slacken and saw that she had passed out from the pain. "Boromir, you should stay with her, she'll be out for most of the night, but I know she'll be comforted by your presence," Elizabeth smiled. "I'm perfectly fine with sleeping out under the stars."

"We have extra room in our tent if Boromir stays here, Lady Elizabeth," Aragorn graciously extended the invitation.

"Thank you, Lord Aragorn. I think I'll take you up on that offer."

Boromir watched them go and looked down at the unconscious Kat lying on top of the furs. He sighed and wished that she had said something earlier about the wound. Kat was entirely too stubborn, but so was he and somehow they made it work. Boromir sighed again and settled down for the night by shedding his boots, outer tunic, and belt before carefully inching a large fur out from underneath Kat and settling it over the two of them as he lay down next to her. He slipped an arm around her waist and watched her for a moment before drifting off to sleep for the night.

* * *

Kat blinked blearily as she woke to darkness. The orange of the firelight was muted through the tent walls when her eyesight cleared and her brain registered what it was. The furs she rested upon were soft against her skin and Kat turned her head to see a sleeping Boromir beside her, his arm heavy across her stomach while he breathed deeply as one did while asleep. Her leg no longer throbbed as much as it had earlier; instead a slight ache had seeped into the wounds, which was more annoying than painful. She drew nonsensical patterns with her finger on the back of Boromir's forearm and listened to the sounds of the night around her. It was calming and soothing, it was something she knew in a time of war and turning tides. It wasn't the calm before the storm quite yet, but it was getting there and soon.

Boromir shifted beside her and she felt his lips caress the shell of her ear, "You're awake," he whispered, voice scratchy from sleep.

"You should be sleeping," she whispered back.

"So should you," he kissed her temple and she cuddled closer. "Feeling better?" Her playful kiss was her reply and Boromir chuckled as he drew back, "I'll take that as a yes."

"You'd better," she teased against his lips as he leaned in for another kiss. Kat hummed into the kiss while his thumb lazily traced circles on her hip through her shirt. She willingly parted her lips when he wanted to deepen the kiss and her fingers wove into his sleep-mussed hair while his hand crept under her shirt to caress the warm skin of her back. Kat gently pushed Boromir onto his back and straddled his hips, careful not to put a lot of weight onto her right thigh even as it ached when flexed, "You know this is the first time we've been alone in a while."

"I don't think being in a tent surrounded by others is alone, Katie."

She muffled her giggles in his chest and he wrapped his arms around her with a fond smile. She folded her arms and propped her chin on top of her hands, her gleeful smile lingering on her face while she got a proper look at him through hooded eyes. His hand disappeared underneath her shirt again, tracing faint patterns on the small of her back, making Kat shiver every so often at the sensation. New lines had appeared on Boromir's face, but she could barely tell in his relaxed state. She could feel the scars from the Uruk-hai leader's arrows beneath her fingers and through the worn fabric of his shirt. Kat had nearly lost him and that feeling of fear, the feeling of the bottom of your stomach dropping, the feeling of your heart getting ripped out of your chest and being crushed beneath an apathetic boot, was a feeling that she thought she'd never feel, certainly not about a man she had known for less than a year.

"What's on your mind, Katie?" the subject of her thoughts asked her quietly, seeing the distant look in her blue eyes and the smile slip from her face.

"Nothing…"

"The look on your face tells me something entirely different."

She smiled faintly, amused at how they had only known each other for six months and yet Boromir could already see behind her mask better than most people could in years of knowing her. "Just remembering…"

"Anything in particular?"

"You," Kat smiled wider.

"Really?"

"Yes, really," she leaned up and gently kissed him, feeling his beard scratch against her skin. "Is that so hard to believe?"

"Hm… possibly," he grinned when she narrowed her eyes at him. "Anything particular about me you were thinking of?"

"When I nearly lost you," she answered truthfully. "But I don't want to think about it anymore."

"I think you should talk about it, at least."

"I nearly lost you, but I didn't, what's there to talk about?"

"Katie…" When she refused to look at him, Boromir made her look up with his hand beneath her chin. "Hey… talk to me, what's going on?"

"Nothing."

"If I promise to not handle things on my own, that I'll share with you my problems… will you tell me?"

"You would really promise that?"

"Of course I would."

Kat searched his face for a few long minutes before she sighed, "I… I felt scared, Mir. Scared in a way that I never have been before, ever, in my entire life. And that scared me even more… I don't like that feeling."

Boromir smoothed her hair away from her face, "I'm sorry for hurting you, Katie."

"You didn't hurt me, Mir… you never could intentionally hurt me, and I know that. I'm… I'm just not used to having these feelings for someone… to actually have someone that I can love with my entire being like Aragorn does Arwen or Jack does Sam… I've always seen it, I've never experienced it and it scares me because I can see what it does to a person if something happens to the other. It makes you go… well, sort of crazy."

"Is that not what love is, Katie?"

"I don't know."

He smiled, "We'll figure it out… together."

"Together," she nodded with him.


	20. Chapter 20

"Are you sure?" Kat asked when Elizabeth held up another dress.

"Yes, I'm sure. This dress should fit you and the color will look great on you. You should let your hair down too."

"Only way that's happening is if I get a bath."

"That's reasonable," Elizabeth grinned at the absolute look of delight on Kat's face. "You need to bathe that wound anyways."

"Are you putting any more of that vile stuff on it?"

"We'll see." Kat groaned and flopped back onto Elizabeth's bed in Edoras while the other woman laughed.

She sunk into the hot water up to her nose and sighed in delight. Her hair floated on top of the water like some sort of odd brown seaweed and it made Kat chuckle internally. It had been a long time since she had seen any type of ocean here in Middle Earth when she had been used to being surrounded by it on Atlantis. Kat closed her eyes and dunked her head below the surface of the water to get the rest of her hair and face wet. A knock on the door startled her out of her mindless gazing an indeterminate amount of time later.

"You alive in there?" Elizabeth's voice was muffled, but Kat could hear the amusement in it.

"Yeah, just enjoying a hot bath."

"I know the feeling. You should get out some time soon though, you've been in there for a good half hour and we still need to get ready for tonight."

"Okay, okay, I'm almost done," Kat basked in the cooling water for a little bit longer before she carefully climbed out of the tub and washed her hair before drying herself off.

Elizabeth peeked in as Kat was drying her hair with magic, "Feel better?"

"I feel human again, thank you. Last time I had a hot bath was Lothlórien and after that I had a 'bath' in the Anduin and it was so cold…" Kat shivered and grinned at the memory of how she warmed up after that dip in the river.

"You've certainly been through a lot," Elizabeth stroked Kat's soft curls. "Come on, time to get you in that pretty dress so Boromir can ogle at you some more."

"Ha, ha, very funny."

* * *

Elizabeth had to smirk when she saw the obvious look of affection on Boromir's face when he saw Kat in her borrowed dress prior to the celebratory feast. Éomer sidled up to her left, "Playing matchmaker, are we?"

"Nonsense," she replied, watching the pair as Boromir chastely kissed the knuckles of both Kat's hands. "They were already together before they got here."

"You are happy with your sister's choice, then?"

"Of course. Kat knows what she's doing, she always has. That's what I've always admired about her. She doesn't let her heart get easily swayed by just anyone or anything."

"You share that with her, you know," the warrior stated quietly. "Strong in the heart, mind, and spirit."

"You really think so?"

"It's what makes both of you capable leaders, people listen when either of you speak," he smiled. "You're just more calm about it than Lady Kathryn. She's a fiery one."

Elizabeth chuckled thinking of the various spats Kat had gotten into with other members of their expedition or with indigenous people on other planets, she was almost as bad as John or Jack, "That she is. She rivals a few of our old friends as the person to anger the most people for pure enjoyment at times."

Éomer laughed richly, "I can see that."

"It's a bluster though, to throw people off. She is a person of many masks… all to hide herself because that's all she knew growing up."

"So only a few find out who she truly is?"

"Exactly."

"Interesting… shall I accompany you into the hall, Elizabeth?" Éomer asked, offering his arm.

Elizabeth accepted it with a smile, "You may, Éomer."

* * *

"You look beautiful."

Kat giggled, "You've said that already."

"I mean it."

"I know you do," she laughed as he roped her around her waist and pulled her closer to him. She hadn't had any drink tonight, but Boromir had sampled some of Rohan's finest ale, she could taste it on his lips when he kissed her and he kissed her frequently. People, specifically their friends and the king's niece and nephew, were staring at the open displays of affection and Kat could feel the blush heating her cheeks but like in the golden, peaceful woods of Caras Galadhon, she found herself not caring about what they thought and enjoyed the moment with Boromir.

This was the first time they were really able to be open about their relationship since it started. They didn't really announce it, that wasn't their way, but it did feel like they had been kind of hiding it from the rest of the Fellowship until Boromir almost died. After that, they had somehow wordlessly agreed on seizing each moment while they could. Of course… Kat stopped Boromir's hand from roaming farther than it should while in public, there were just some things you saved for later. "Alright, hon, I think you've had enough."

"No I don't think so."

She laughed and forcibly removed the tankard from his hand, holding it away from him when he reached to grab it, "Yeeeeeees, I think you have." Handing it to a passing person, Kat soon had a very tipsy Boromir to deal with. She giggled as she put a hand over his mouth to prevent him from kissing her again and he gave the most pitiful look so she removed the hand, "Down, boy. What's got you all excited?"

"I haven't been able to do that in a while."

"You get really sappy when you drink, do you know that?"

"Only with you."

"Oh my gods…"

"Kat!" Elizabeth called out to her, breaking the moment between her and Boromir.

* * *

Gandalf was surprised by the light touch on his elbow as he watched Pippin and Merry dance and entertain the men of Rohan. He turned to see a rosy-cheeked Kat standing next to him with a smile. "Kathryn," he smiled back.

"I didn't get a chance to do this earlier," she dove right into an explanation as she grasped his hand warmly, "to welcome you back, I mean."

The white wizard's smile widened and he covered her hand with his free one, "It is quite alright, Kathryn, I'd say we were busy."

She giggled and nodded, reminding him of the young teenager that had run into him in Rivendell twenty years ago, "That is true." Kat slipped her hand from his and stepped forward to give the wizard a spontaneous hug, "I'm glad you're back, _noatar_," she told him quietly in his ear.

Gandalf returned the embrace, the years he had taught Kat and watched as she matured into the young woman in his arms flashed before his eyes, "I am happy to be back as well, my dear. Now go and enjoy the night, it is for you.

She drew back and smiled, "It's for all of us." With a warm kiss to his bearded cheek, Kat rejoined Boromir, who had been waiting patiently for her to finish. She was a lovely woman and the man of Gondor was lucky to have her love. If the quest was successful and Aragorn was crowned king, he knew that Kat would make a prized advisor of the heir.

Tonight they celebrated, but tomorrow the work began again.

* * *

The smooth stones that made up the floor chilled her feet to the point of aching. The dark was all around her, so dark she couldn't see anything, not even her hands stretched out to guide. She jumped when she felt an equally cold stone wall to one side and heard something move on the other. Biting her lip to keep quiet, she moved onwards, the hairs on her arms standing up as she felt the walls start to close in. Her breath quickened, but she knew she couldn't make a sound, not here, not in the Chamber, it was forbidden.

She stumbled and fell to the ground, landing hard on her knees and hands. When she attempted to straighten back up, the ceiling had fallen to just above her head and she swallowed her whimper as tears spilled down her face and her arms started shaking. This was the test, the test of fears, and she had to persevere. The darkness still surrounded her, but she could see a faint pinprick of light ahead of her. She only needed to crawl towards it in this cramped tunnel she was in. Easier said than done.

Fear squirmed in her belly as she shakily pulled herself closer and closer to the light. She had no clue how much time had passed when she reached the light. Beyond it she could see an open field, no end in sight as far as the eye could see and she smiled, reaching out to feel the breeze and sunlight on her skin, her hand encountered an unseen barrier. She panicked and pushed against the barrier, feeling a fine cloth-like texture against her hands, but it refused to give. Choking back a cry, she clawed at the unknown barrier keeping her from freedom until her fingers and hands bled and she found an opening she could rip open farther and push through only to…

…Fall through the air and land in front of a barren white tree in a white stone courtyard surrounded by still guards. It was quiet, she breathed deeply to calm her racing heart. Silently she stood and looked out to see the glowing red horizon of Mordor, closer than ever. Dark clouds spread from the blood red east and engulfed the blue sky above the courtyard she was in. Heat scorching at her back forced her to turn and she saw the guards had disappeared and the white tree was burning, orange and yellow flames adorning its branches like leaves of autumn as they danced in the darkness. The flames gathered closer and formed a great fiery eye with a dark pupil. "_I see you…_" an eerie voice whispered and sent shivers down her spine. "_I see you…_"

With a strangled gasp, Kat shot straight up in the bed she shared with Elizabeth. Elizabeth was startled awake by Kat's sudden movement, "Kat? What is it?"

"He's here…" Kat struggled to free her legs from where she had tangled the blankets around them, her hands bruised and bloody to her surprise. With Elizabeth's help, she was free and she stood, nearly falling flat on her face because her legs were shaking too much to hold her weight.

"What's going on, Kat?" Elizabeth demanded as she helped Kat rush out of her room and towards the hall where Kat's friends were staying, looking worriedly at Kat's hands.

"He's here," was the only thing she replied with as they reached the room, Aragorn and Legolas rushing in from outside. They burst into the room, hearing Merry shout at someone to help while Pippin writhed on the floor, the Palantír in his hands. "He's here…" Aragorn grabbed the stone from the hobbit's hands. He fell to his knees and it rolled out of his hands across the floor.

"Fool of a Took!" Gandalf spat as he turned around, having covered the lost seeing stone from view. Pippin was lying on the floor, his eyes open, but not seeing. The wizard rushed to the hobbit, pushing Merry aside, and taking Pippin's hand. He pressed his other hand to Pippin's forehead, whispering quietly before stroking Pippin's cheek. They watched with concern before Pippin finally responded with his eyes blinking. "Look at me…"

"Gandalf!" Pippin gasped. "Forgive me!"

He tried to close his eyes again, but Gandalf wouldn't let him, "Look at me! What did you see?"

Pippin was obviously distraught, but he managed to speak, "A tree… there was a white tree… in a courtyard of stone… it was dead." Kat reeled, her body starting to falter as a flashback of the burning white tree in her dream resurfaced. Elizabeth tightened her hold on Kat while Pippin continued, "The city was burning."

"Minas Tirith?" Gandalf asked. "Is that what you saw?"

The hobbit swallowed, "I saw… I saw Him! I could hear his voice in my head!"

That alarmed Gandalf and those watching, "And what did you tell Him? Speak!"

"…He asked me my name… I didn't answer. He hurt me!"

"What did you tell Him of Frodo and the Ring?" Pippin looked fearfully up at the wizard and denied that he told nothing of Frodo or the Ring.


	21. Chapter 21

It was decided that Gandalf would take Pippin to Minas Tirith in hopes of talking to the steward and preparing the city for Sauron's eventual attack. Boromir and Kat were accompanying him, Boromir thinking that he could persuade his father and Kat going for moral support. Kat was currently watching from the doorway as Boromir prepared a few saddlebags of things for all four of them while they were in the white city. He was currently staring off into space. "Something's weighing on your mind," she stated softly, breaking him from his reverie.

He turned and opened his arms, Kat went willingly, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder. Boromir held her close; "I'm worried… about my father… about my brother."

"We'll find out what's going on when we reach the city, Mir. We can't make assumptions on things we barely have any information on, we need to find out for ourselves… in person. Your father will be glad to see his oldest son return, I'm sure of it."

"Then you're the only one," he sighed. "Father ordered me to Rivendell to take the Ring and bring it back to Gondor… He won't be happy with me, Katie, with the choice I made."

"He will when he learns of all the good you've done. You can turn him around, I know you can."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I like to think I know you," she smiled and gently kissed him. "We'll figure this out, Mir, together, remember?"

"I do…" He smiled back at her. "You'll be meeting my family… nervous?"

"Not in the least," Kat smirked.

Boromir laughed and kissed her once more, "So sure of that, are we?"

"Quite sure."

"We'll see about that, Katie."

"Mm-hm, right," she eased out of his embrace and flexed her newly healed hands, trying to ease the slight ache in them as the new skin was stretched the wrong way.

"How are your hands?"

"Better than yesterday… I still have no clue how they ended up that way."

"I still think you should talk to Aragorn about your dreams."

"I _can't_, Mir. I am not allowed to talk of anything that had happened in the Chamber of Ordeals, it is forbidden and those who speak without permission are severely punished by the gods."

"But you are no longer in that land!"

"I can't talk about whatever happened to me in the Chamber, end of story, no matter where I may be!"

"My lord, my lady," A warrior of Rohan interrupted them. "Gandalf sent for you, he is ready to leave."

"Thank you," Boromir nodded, grateful to stop arguing with Kat for the time being and the man left. "Ready, Katie?"

"Always."

* * *

"Come back to me, okay, Kat?" Elizabeth whispered while the two women embraced.

"I will, but I have a feeling you'll be coming to me." At Elizabeth's inquisitive look, Kat elaborated in Ancient, "_The road that Gandalf spoke of… Aragorn is heading that way, I have dreamed of it. You must go with him, aid him any way you can. He must not go alone and he will need your diplomatic skills before the end. You can fight, you can help. Stress this to him and he will have to take you along… if you have to tell him of the missions you've been on, the dangerous ones, especially those directly against the Wraith._"

"_I will, Kat, have no fear_."

Kat smiled and embraced her tightly once more, "Take care, Liz."

"You too, Kat." Elizabeth watched as her friend swung up on Niand behind Boromir, barely settling in when Gandalf barreled out of the stables on Shadowfax. Boromir and Kat weren't far behind and she watched until they disappeared from the city, out onto the plains of Rohan. "_May the Ancestors guide you well._"

* * *

Kat gasped in amazement when they crowned a hill to the north of Minas Tirith. The white city was simply gorgeous; Boromir's numerous descriptions didn't do it justice. The tower of Ecthelion glimmered in the sunlight, the entire city carved into the white rock face, tier upon tier, seven in total, all the way up to the top where the Citadel reigned over all, its pavilion jutting out of the cliff side and city like the prow of a great ship. "Oh wow… it's stunning…" Boromir smiled at her reaction.

"Minas Tirith, City of Kings," Gandalf said from their right.

"My home… is it still the same city as it was when I left?" Boromir wondered.

"Only one way to find out," the wizard replied. "Quickly now, we must meet with Lord Denethor." He nudged Shadowfax towards the city, Niand following not far behind.

Kat held on for dear life as they galloped through the tiers of the white city, startled civilians jumping out of Shadowfax's path, and Gandalf shouting at them to clear the way. She could hear faint exclamations of surprise at the sight of Boromir. A great warrior returning from battle would surely garner attention, but they seemed shocked to see that he was even alive. Kat looked behind her to see various guards attempting to follow the two horses on foot and she had to chuckle at the sight, she did give them credit for their effort though.

She turned back just as they were clearing the last tier, Boromir slowing Niand to a gradual stop on the pavilion in front of the Citadel and royal hall. Guards came forward to take care of their horses, one holding the reins of Niand as Boromir swung down from the saddle before lifting Kat down, ignoring her protests, "You still need to rest that leg."

"I can get down from a horse on my own."

"What, are you saying you don't want someone to take care of you?"

"I can take care of myself, I've had to." Boromir chose not to say anything, instead he offered his arm silently to Kat so she could have the support but still feel independent. Kat in turn, flushed with embarrassment and quietly slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow, her head bowed.

Boromir covered her hand with his and stopped walking so Gandalf and Pippin could get a fair distance ahead of them, "Katie?"

"Yeah, Mir?" She looked up at him and bit her lip when she saw the pure emotion in his eyes. "What is it?"

"I love you," he told her softly.

She smiled, a bit confused at this sudden but not unwelcome proclamation, "I love you too."

"Kathryn, Boromir!" Gandalf's voice cut through the air and they quickly caught up to the wizard and the hobbit at the black double doors to the royal hall, doors Boromir knew all too well. "Listen carefully, Peregrin Took. Lord Denethor is Boromir's father."

"I doubt he'll be in a good mood," Boromir sighed.

"Your father?"

"Yes, my father," Boromir nodded to Pippin's question. "Hopefully we can get through to him about this impending attack and prepare the city, but he is a stubborn man."

"Exactly. Do not mention Frodo or the Ring, and say nothing of Aragorn either," Gandalf told the hobbit. He turned to enter only to stop and glance down at the hobbit again, "In fact, it's better if you don't speak at all."

Kat hid a smile behind her hand as Pippin nodded and the four of them entered the hall. Gandalf strode quickly ahead of them along the hall of the Kings, Pippin stayed close to Kat and Boromir a few paces behind the wizard. Gandalf approached the man seated on the steward's black throne, the empty white marble throne of the king above the room on a tier of white and black marble. The man had long grey hair, hanging about his lowered face, and he wore a well-kept robe of black velvet, lined and trimmed with grey fur. In his hands, Kat could spot Boromir's broken horn, the one he had thrown into the River Anduin less than a month before and she tightened her grip on Boromir's arm, he squeezed her hand in response.

"Hail, Denethor, son of Ecthelion, Lord and Steward of Gondor." Gandalf's voice echoed in the empty hall that Kat supposed was full to the brim with people and a court in years long passed. "I come with tidings in this dark hour and with counsel."

Denethor lifted his eyes and the horn after a long moment, "Perhaps you have come to explain this. Perhaps you have come to tell me why my son is dead."

They looked at each other in confusion… could the steward not see his son standing alive right in front of him? Boromir dropped his arm, stepping forward to stand beside Gandalf, "Father… Father, I am not dead, I'm right here… do you not see?"

"You are not my son," the steward spat, Kat could see the crazed look in the man's eyes… he was beyond all help. "You are a delusion conjured by the wizard. My son… my beloved son is dead and gone."

"Father…" Boromir's voice cracked at his father's refusal. Kat touched his arm gently and he backed away from the man sitting on the throne, unable to cope with this sort of rejection. "Why is he doing this?"

"I don't know, Mir," she soothed quietly, her hand on his cheek, thumb caressing it and not paying attention to the conversation next to them. "I really don't… but there has to be some sort of explanation for his behavior."

"Get up!" they looked over to see Gandalf nudge a kneeling Pippin with his staff. Gods only knew what the hobbit had done now. "My lord… there will be a time to… grieve for Boromir, but it is not now. War is coming." Denethor did not respond, so the wizard continued. "The enemy is on your doorstep. As steward, you're charged with the defense of this city. Where are Gondor's armies?" The man raised his head to stare at Gandalf while the wizard plunged onward, "You still have friends, you are not alone in this fight. Send word to Théoden of Rohan… light the beacons."

"You think you are wise, Mithrandir, yet for all your subtleties you have not wisdom," Denethor's voice was low and full of venom for Gandalf. "Do you think the eyes of the White Tower are blind? I have seen more than you know." That statement alone raised the hairs on the back of Kat's neck. "With your left hand you would use me as a shield against Mordor and with your right, you'd seek to supplant me! I know who rides with Théoden of Rohan. Oh yes… word has reached my ears of this Aragorn, son of Arathorn and I will tell you now… I will not bow to this ranger from the North. Last of a ragged house long bereft of Lordship!"

"Authority is not given to you to deny the return of the king, _Steward._"

Denethor leapt from his black chair, "The rule of Gondor is mine! And no others'!"

"He's gone mad," Boromir murmured to Kat, she could only nod slightly in return as Gandalf swept from the hall.

"All has turned to vain ambition. He would use his grief as a cloak," Gandalf raged as they exited the Citadel. "A thousand years this city has stood. Now, at the whim of a madman, it will fall and the White Tree… the tree of the king will never bloom again."

"Why are they still guarding it?" Pippin asked.

"Because they have hope," Boromir supplied with a sigh.

"A faint and fading hope that it will one day flower," the wizard grumbled. "That the king will come and this city will be as it once was before it fell into decay. The old wisdom borne out of the West was forsaken. Kings made tombs more splendid than the houses of the living and counted the old names of their descent dearer than the names of their sons. Childless lords sat in aged halls, musing of heraldry or in high cold towers asking questions of the stars…" Gandalf shook his head as they reached the end of the pavilion. "And so the people of Gondor fell into ruin. The line of kings failed. The White Tree withered and the rule of Gondor was given over to lesser men…"

Kat squeezed Boromir's hand and he simply nodded silently in agreement with Gandalf's long-winded speech, as it was all entirely too true. He could see that now. Gondor had withered away, its people trying to scratch out a living underneath the constant shadow of Mordor to the east. Kat's hand tightened around his and he looked over to see a fearful look on her face, "What is it, Katie?"

"It looks exactly like my dream," she answered softly. "I… the night Pippin took the Seeing Stone, the night my hands bled, I dreamt of the White Tree and of Mordor on the horizon… the dark clouds spreading… like they are now," she nodded to the gathering storm clouds.

"A storm is coming," Pippin stated.

"This is not the weather of the world," Gandalf told them. "This is a device of Sauron's making… a broil of fume he sends before his host. The orcs of Mordor have no love of daylight so he covers the face of the sun to ease their passage along the road to war. When the shadow of Mordor reaches this city, it will begin."

"The calm before the storm," Kat sighed.

"Exactly."


	22. Chapter 22

_smutty smut smut ahead!_

_-Dee_

* * *

She pulled the pins from her hair, letting the long braid fall down her back before she untied the end and gently unraveled the plait, the kinked locks settling over her shoulders in a waterfall of thick brown hair. Kat let out a tired sigh as she finished unwrapping her thigh and lay down on top of the bed, letting the partially healed wound air out for the night. It wasn't hurting as much as it had before and the wound looked less infected from what she could tell by the dim light in their room. She and Boromir were sharing a room, Gandalf and Pippin were next door, she could smell the wizard's pipe weed smoke drifting in across the balconies. Boromir was leaning on the stone-carved railing as he gazed out at the city and the red horizon of Mordor. She watched him from the bed for a bit before she pushed herself up with a slight grunt and padded out to the balcony, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind, "Hey."

"Hey," he replied quietly, listening to the banter between Gandalf and Pippin.

Kat smiled and rested her chin on Boromir's shoulder, she tapped him on the upper arm and pointed to a crumbling city on the river, "What city is that?"

"Osgiliath… my men and I won it back before I left for Rivendell."

"What's it like?"

"It was the jewel of the kingdom, full of light and all sorts of life… until orcs from Mordor seized it. I don't know how it is now, my brother Faramir was left in charge. No doubt he's tried his best, but Father's given him no way to keep the city. He's probably got the half of the city on our side of the river, but who knows."

"We'll find out, Mir."

"There's no more stars," she heard Pippin say as Boromir turned to pull her around to his left side. "Is it time?"

"Yes," Gandalf replied a bit hesitantly.

Pippin walked over to the railing and folded his arms on top of it, "It's so quiet."

"It's the deep breath before the plunge."

"I don't want to be in a battle, but waiting on the edge of one I can't escape is even worse." Gandalf walked up next to Pippin, leaning his elbows on the railing while the hobbit turned his face up to look at the wizard. "Is there any hope, Gandalf, for Frodo and Sam?"

"There never was much hope…" he started to say and Kat looked over in alarm. The wizard smiled and winked at her, "Just a fool's hope." He turned his face in the direction of Mordor and the rest of them followed his lead, "Our enemy is ready, his full strength is gathered. Not only orcs, but also men as well… legions of Haradrim from the South, mercenaries from the coast… All will answer Mordor's call. This will be the end of Gondor as we know it. Here the hammer stroke will fall hardest. If the river is taken, if the garrison as Osgiliath falls, the last defense of this city will be gone."

"But we have the White Wizard, that's got to count for something, and Kat and Boromir." Gandalf looked less confident than Pippin had hoped. "Gandalf?"

"Sauron has yet to reveal his deadliest servant, the one who will lead Mordor's armies in war, the one they say no living man can kill… the Witch-King of Angmar. You have met him before," Gandalf and Pippin exchanged glances and the wizard elaborated, "He stabbed Frodo on Weathertop."

"Frodo was stabbed?" Boromir asked Kat quietly.

She nodded, "The Witch-King stabbed him in the shoulder with a Morgul blade, he was nearly turned into one of them before he was brought to Rivendell. I helped Elrond remove the knife tip and heal his shoulder… though it will never fully heal. He will carry the scar… and the side effects for the rest of his life."

"Such a heavy burden for one so small."

"His spirit isn't as small," Kat smiled and patted Boromir's chest comfortingly while he rubbed up and down her back subconsciously. "It's gotten him this far, it'll see him through to the end. He's shown remarkable resilience to the Ring."

"I didn't."

"Mir… you have more than made up for it. You realized it was wrong and have proven yourself afterwards even when you didn't have to."

"How can you be so sure?"

Kat sighed, trying to think of a way to put the explanation simply, "I would not have been able to bring you back if the Dark God did not think you worthy of a second chance at life."

"Oh…"

"Yes, 'oh'," she put her head on his shoulder a smile on her face, burrowing further into his side, shivering slightly in the cool night air. Boromir held her closer, his hand smoothing up and down her back.

"What is it?" he asked when she stiffened next to him.

"Something…" she gasped when a column of sickly green light filled the night sky, a beacon coming from Minas Morgul. "By the Mother…"

"It has begun," Boromir murmured as he tightened his arms around Kat.

* * *

"Gandalf and I are going out, are you coming?" Boromir looked amused at the excitement on Pippin's face. If there was one thing you could count on, it would be that Pippin always saw the silver lining of any situation.

"No, I think Kat and I are going to rest today."

"Okay, but you're really going to miss out on all the fun!"

"Peregrin Took!" It seemed Gandalf was even grumpier than usual this morning.

"Better go, Pip, we'll see you later."

"Okay! See you, Boromir!" He chuckled and closed the door as softly as he could.

"What was that all about?" Kat asked drowsily, smiling when Boromir sighed.

"I was hoping you didn't wake up."

"Pippin could wake the entire city with his voice, Mir," Kat laughed, her voice still slightly thick from sleep. "There was no way I was sleeping through it… I woke up halfway through. What did he want?"

"Wanted to know if we were tagging along with him and Gandalf. I told him no, we were going to rest this morning. Who knows when we will get the time later."

She nodded, "True… Did you mean really rest or_ rest?_ Because I'm up for both." She squealed in laughter when Boromir bounded over to the bed and nearly landed on top of her, "Watch the leg, _watch the leg!_"

"I was planning on giving that some attention… later," he teased, putting his weight on his forearms, Kat underneath him, her thighs on either side of his hips. "Morning."

Kat giggled even as he dipped down and kissed her thoroughly, "Morning." It took some wrangling, but together they managed to get Boromir's shirt off and Kat tossed it in a random direction across the room while he resumed kissing her. "Careful, you'll leave marks," she teased as he nibbled his way down her neck.

"You never minded them before…"

"Just shut up and kiss me."

"Yes, my lady." Kat playfully smacked him on the shoulder while her entire body shook with giddy laughter. Boromir inched her shirt up and shifted down to pepper her abdomen with light kisses, causing her to squirm and giggle even harder, especially when he paid special attention to the slash marks on her left side. He completely pulled her shirt off and kissed her deeply after nipping his way up her torso. Kat sighed into the kiss, her nails gently raking down Boromir's back, causing him to groan, before her hands trailed down to the ties of his breeches. He pulled back slightly, "Are you sure?"

Kat narrowed her darkened eyes at him, "Would I be trying to undo your pants if I wasn't?"

"Right, stupid question."

She simply chuckled and gently pulled his head down for another kiss after he kicked his breeches and small clothes away. After a bit of struggling on Boromir's part and gleeful laughter on Kat's, he managed to remove her breast band and ease her small clothes over her long legs. She shivered at his fingers lightly tracing up her calves, gentle over her still healing thigh, before continuing up her torso and exploring every inch of her skin Boromir could reach. Her hands weren't still either as she traced his scars on his chest before her right hand rested over his heart and stayed there.

One of Boromir's hands traveled around her neck to the back of her head, tangling in her hair and guided her mouth to his where she gently nipped at his lower lip in response. A fire burned low in her belly, stoked by Boromir's ministrations and he wasn't unaffected as well. She gasped when he entered her slowly and he groaned in reply.

The early morning sunlight painted the sheets and blankets around them gold and warmed them as they slowly rocked together, silent save for gasps or groans, speaking to each other in lingering touches or whispered demands. Their build was slow and steady as the rising tide and their climaxes crashed over them as a wave did on the sand, leaving the two of them relaxed and calm. Kat gently kissed Boromir's temple and wrapped her arms more fully around his sweaty shoulders as he laid on top of her, the two of them still joined. "Now that's what I call a proper good morning."

Boromir chuckled into her neck, kissing the crook of it before moving to lie beside Kat, pulling out in the process, "You have a wicked sense of humor, love."

"That I do," she smiled and pulled a blanket over the top of them before snuggling into his embrace. "Sleep for a bit and then food?"

"Sounds like an excellent idea."

* * *

Boromir watched with a smile as Kat bit heartily into the warm apple turnover she had gotten for her breakfast. She practically moaned with pleasure as she licked her lips after swallowing the bite. "Good breakfast?"

"This has got to be one of the greatest apple turnovers I have had in a long time. Want to try?" She offered the flaky pastry towards him.

He declined, "It's more fun to watch you make a mess of yourself." Boromir simply laughed when she smacked him on the arm, her mouth too full to respond with a scathing remark if the look in her eyes was anything to go by. He stopped a passerby, "Have you seen Mithrandir?"

"He passed by up that way, my Lord Boromir," they responded politely and Boromir thanked them, gently leading Kat by a hand on her back while she finished her breakfast.

"Boromir, Kathryn," the white wizard greeted them cordially; Pippin was nowhere in sight. Interestingly enough, Gandalf kept looking up at the beacon above their heads and Boromir had an idea of where the hobbit was. "Aha!"

Kat looked at Boromir in confusion as the wizard walked passed them. He simply smiled and then casually looked up at the now lit beacon and then back down at Kat. Sure enough, she had followed his line of sight and was smiling widely when he looked at her. "Crafty old codger," she smirked and followed Gandalf. They reached him right before the beacon at Amon Dîn was lit. The chain had begun, Rohan would receive the signal in about a day, hopefully that would give them enough time to rally the troops before the armies of Mordor attacked the city.

* * *

"Here," Aragorn looked up to see Elizabeth offering him a steaming bowl. He nodded his thanks and took it as she gracefully lowered herself to sit down beside him, "Still nothing?" She gestured to the east where the beacon was supposed to come from.

"Not a spark. I have faith in them though."

"But do you have faith in Théoden to answer the way you want him and need him to?"

Aragorn looked at the woman beside him, she wore a slight smile and her green eyes were cool, but piercing. He could tell that she and Kat were definitely alike, "I do. He is an honorable man, no matter how Gondor has treated him in this war, he will not ignore a call for help."

"In that you are correct."

He sipped at the steaming liquid and was surprised to find it hot tea, a spicy blend that he had never tasted before. Elizabeth chuckled at the look of surprise on his face. Aragorn swallowed, "Thank you, Lady Elizabeth."

"You're very welcome, I know how cool it gets here even in the spring, and please it's Elizabeth."

"Aragorn," he smiled and took another sip just as a great orange fire bloomed on a mountain ridge, contrasting starkly with the rich blue sky. Both of them stood and gazed in amazement before they dashed towards the Golden Hall up the hill. The tea spilling on the ground as Aragorn dropped the bowl, some of it splashing on Elizabeth's skirts as she ran pass. He did pause and help her when she stumbled up the stone steps, "Okay?"

"I'm fine," she waved him off and they burst through the doors, Aragorn yelling as they did so.

"The beacons of Minas Tirith! The beacons are lit!" The king of Rohan was in the middle of a meeting and was startled by their sudden appearance. "Gondor calls for aid," Aragorn and Elizabeth skidded to a stop in front of him.

"And Rohan will answer," the king declared. "Muster the Rohirrim!"

Elizabeth packed the essentials, as well as her own set of men's clothing and concealed her sword on her saddle. She noticed Éowyn doing the same and smiled. She whistled at Merry's pony to get it moving and the hobbit sent her a grateful look, "Thank you, my lady."

"I'm guessing you don't ride horses all that much."

"No, my lady."

"Elizabeth… call me Elizabeth, Meriadoc."

"Merry."

She smiled, "Merry." Turning her gaze to the rest of Edoras, Elizabeth had to admit it was a truly magnificent sight to see all of the Rohirrim riding out of the city, their dark green cloaks stark against the grasses of the plains and the tips of their lances glinting in the spring sunlight. How many would return from this war? The answer would be too few, but such was a sacrifice expected in war. She had learned that in her years of being a leader of an unpredictable expedition in an unknown galaxy and here in her years of dwelling in Rohan. With a slight sigh, Elizabeth nudged her horse and followed Éowyn as they left Edoras and began their journey to Dunharrow, Kat's words still weighing heavily on her mind.


	23. Chapter 23

"Oh gods I hope he reaches them in time," Kat gnawed on her lower lip as they watched from the edge of the pavilion as Gandalf and Pippin rode out to help the fleeing Gondorian patrol defend against the Nazgûl.

"He will," Boromir's grip on her shoulders tightened and she guessed the reason why. Faramir was likely among the riders. Gandalf raised his staff and bright shaft of pure white light was directed at the flying Ringwraiths like a beacon. It drove the foul beasts away and soon the riders trickled into the city below. "Katie?" Boromir caught her when her legs gave out beneath her. "What's the matter?"

"I-I don't know… my leg is burning."

"Let's get you back to the room and have a look at it," they returned to their room and Kat quickly shed her boots and breeches and hobbled into the adjoining washroom to have a look. "What do you need, Katie?"

"My belt purse, please," she answered calmly. "Son of a bitch…"

"Still infected?"

"Irritated I think," she sighed and smiled her thanks as he handed her the leather purse. "I've got it, don't worry… or do, but go find out about your brother or something."

"I'll be in the other room," he softly kissed her forehead, "just in case you need any help, alright?"

"Okay."

He was skimming through Kat's sketchbook (with her permission of course) when he heard a knock on the door. Frowning slightly, he opened the door thinking it was Pippin again or Gandalf. To his shock, his younger brother stood before him, his light brown hair a little longer than he remembered and his brilliant blue eyes had aged years since they last saw each other, "Faramir!"

"I knew you weren't dead!" The brothers embraced heartily, holding each other tight and chuckling to keep back the grateful tears at being reunited. "Where have you been? When your horn washed up on the river… we assumed the worst," Faramir asked.

So that was why Denethor thought him dead, Boromir nodded in understanding as he had never gone without that horn before, "I've been with friends, helping out Rohan against Saruman. We were back from Helm's Deep not too long before coming here to Minas Tirith."

"I'm grateful to see you alive… I guess you were too stubborn to die," Faramir chuckled.

Boromir grinned, "I had a little help, but you could say that."

"Oh, for _fuck's_ _sake!_" Katie's irritated shout as well as the sound of something being thrown against a wall startled them and reminded Boromir that she was still in the washroom.

"Hold on," Boromir held up a hand to stem any incoming questions from his brother and entered the washroom to see Kat holding a bandage to her thigh, the bright red of her blood splashed against another one sitting on the vanity, tears running from underneath her hand covering her eyes, a bundle of bandages on the other side of the washroom having landed there when she threw it. "What's the matter, Katie?" He asked softly, his hands covering her shaking knees as he knelt in front of her.

"I went to heal them and started taking the stitches out when they started bleeding. Gods, I screwed up!"

"Hey, hey, look at me," teary blue eyes peeked out in between her fingers to meet his concerned grey ones. "No you didn't, love. It was an honest mistake. We'll take the rest of these stitches out while you heal them, alright?"

"Okay…"

"Let's take this into the other room… can you walk?"

She sniffed and scrubbed away the tears on her face, "Of course I can walk," she retorted and got up, the bandage still pressed to her leg. "Who's here?"

"My brother, Faramir."

Kat sighed, "And what a wonderful first impression I'm giving him."

Boromir chuckled and kissed the side of Kat's head as he helped her out of the washroom, "Relax, Katie, he'll love you."

"Uh-huh…" she rolled her eyes and limped over to the bed, throwing a strained smile to the man she had yet to meet along the way.

"You heal those wounds," Boromir told her and Kat rolled her eyes to his brother's amusement.

"Those look nasty," the man finally said, his voice was lighter in tone than Boromir's as he moved closer to get a better look at the long claw marks. The red of the wounds contrasted fiercely with greenish-blue bruising surrounding them on Kat's thigh.

"A Warg got me," Kat offered as an explanation.

"She's forgetting to tell you that she fell off the horse in the process."

"Only after the Warg attacked," she frowned at the top of Boromir's head while the man gently removed Kat's stitches. Her fingers glowed blue while she slowly closed her wounds with magic, healing them into fresh, pink scars. At last, the annoying aching throb disappeared from her leg as her muscles and skin were patched up. She left the bruises for last, watching as they turned from green and blue to brown and then finally a sickly yellow before disappearing altogether, leaving only her scars.

"You could have not had scars, Katie."

"I like them, brings character," she shrugged and tugged her breeches back on. "They'll fade over time. Plus, leaving scars uses less magic and the less magic I use now, the more I'll have later. Are you going to introduce me to your brother or is he just going to remain confused?"

Boromir chuckled and turned to his brother, "Faramir, this is Lady Kathryn," he paused to chuckle again at Kat's strangled noise at her title, "Lady Kathryn Lattimer of Lantea, she is part of the Fellowship as well. Katie, this is Faramir, my brother."

"The better brother is what he's not saying," Faramir grinned as he held out his hand in greeting.

Kat stood, grinned back and shook the man's hand, "I'm sure. Call me Kat."

"Not 'Katie'?"

She shook her head with a fond smile and Faramir saw his brother slip his hand around Kat's waist, coming to rest on her hip, "Boromir's the only one who calls me that."

"I see… are you two… together?"

Boromir nodded, "We are."

"Well then, I'm happy for you. It was a pleasure meeting you Kat and I am glad to see that my brother is indeed alive, but I must go and speak to Father."

"I wish you luck," she deadpanned and Faramir grinned before leaving the room. "He's very nice."

"I told you."

"Oh hush," Kat laughed.

* * *

"It never fit me either," Faramir told Pippin, as he took in the view of this hobbit in his old livery from when he was but a boy. "Boromir was always the soldier… he and my father are so alike… proud, stubborn even, but strong."

"I think you'll find that different now," Pippin smiled. "And I think you have strength of a different kind. One day your father will see it." Faramir could only smile back.

Kat watched from the back of the main hall as Pippin swore fealty to Lord Denethor, Boromir was with Gandalf as they observed Osgiliath and planned their defenses against the oncoming army, hoping to hold the city long enough for Théoden and his riders to get here. The hobbit stumbled over a few of his words in the oath, but he finished strong and she gave him a warm smile when he turned to look for her approval. Kat watched Lord Denethor closely, wanting to figure out why he was seemingly out of his mind.

Denethor walked to well laden table and sat down to start a meal. He eyed his second son as he filled his plate, "I do not think we should so lightly abandon the outer defenses. Defenses that your brother long held intact."

"What would you have me do?" Faramir asked.

"I will not yield the river and Pelennor unfought. Osgiliath must be retaken." Oh, he most certainly had gone mad. Osgiliath could only be retaken by an army and Kat had a feeling that Denethor would be less than willing to part with so many men, much less have that many men to do so.

Faramir figured the same, "My lord, Osgiliath is overrun."

"Much must be risked in war." There was risk and then there was sheer stupidity, Denethor was quickly falling underneath the crazy and stupid category in Kat's mind. "Is there a captain here who still has the courage to do his lord's will?"

Kat internally sighed when Faramir looked at his father with a saddened expression, "You wish now that our places had been exchanged," he said quietly. "That I had… died and Boromir had lived."

Denethor was silent before answering, the expression on his face serious and eyes crazed but distant, "Yes. I wish that."

Kat couldn't believe her ears. What kind of father would say that to his son? Let alone the only son he thought he had? Denethor brought a goblet to his lips and drank while Faramir looked at his father with tear-filled eyes, "Since you are robbed of Boromir, I will do what I can in his stead." He bowed and turned to leave. He stopped and looked back at Denethor, "If I should return, think better of me, Father."

"That will depend on the manner of your return."

Kat followed Faramir out of the hall, "Faramir, you can't do this!"

"I have to, Kat, I have a duty to my father, my city, and my kingdom."

"He's gone stark raving mad, Faramir! Don't throw your life away because of that."

The man turned and gave Kat a sad smile, "I can see why my brother cares for you, Kat, but I have to go. He'll understand."

"No he won't, Faramir. He just got you back and now you're leaving."

"Take care of him, Kat."

She sighed in defeat (stubbornness was certainly a family trait with these men) and pulled him into a hug, surprising him momentarily, "You do everything you can to come back, Faramir, I will _not_ be crying over your funeral, got it?"

He chuckled softly and returned the embrace, "I will try my best… sister."

"Good, now go, I'll send Boromir up to you as soon as I find him. He deserves to talk to you before you leave."

"Thank you, Kat."

* * *

Boromir stood with his hands on Kat's shoulders as she handed a small bouquet of flowers to Faramir before he and his soldiers would ride through the streets of Minas Tirith, "Take care, brother."

"You too," Faramir nodded, his eyes sad underneath his shining silver helmet that matched his armor. They watched him go and then hurriedly climbed the wall of one of the lower tiers to watch the soldiers ride out of the gates of Minas Tirith and form a line two ranks deep on the Pelennor Fields. Kat laced her fingers in Boromir's as they watched them disappear from view, becoming a faint line across the horizon, riding to their doom.

"Come, Gandalf will be looking for us," Boromir told her quietly, tugging on her hand.

"He'll come back, Mir."

At that he stopped and turned back to look at the fields before looking at her, fresh tears in his eyes, "I pray to whatever gods who will listen that you are right, Katie."

"Me too."


	24. Chapter 24

Elizabeth watched quietly as Éowyn left Aragorn before her tears spilled. The former diplomat approached the ranger quietly as he finished adjusting his saddle, "I wish you had realized she loved you sooner… it might have spared her some hurt feelings."

"I am sorry that I gave her the wrong impression, but my heart belongs to another."

"I know, Kat told me," she smiled at Aragorn.

He smiled back and then noticed that she had dressed in breeches and a tunic with a shirt underneath, a dark green cloak completed the ensemble, her long hair braided tightly back from her face, and most surprising was the sword belted around her waist, "Where do you think you're going?"

"With you."

Aragorn shook his head, "My journey must be alone."

"Kat warned me you'd be like this."

He froze and caught the slight smirk on Elizabeth's face out of the corner of his eye, "She knew?"

"She knew you'd try and go alone. Aragorn, you've talked to her, you know what I once was. I have gotten squabbling, arguing, contradicting, and even warring sides to come together to compromise. I even ended wars before they started. I am not bragging, I'm telling the truth. I can help you. Maybe we won't have to resort to violence to get these people to heed the call to war. Be practical, this army can kill you if they disagree and then Gondor will be without a king forever."

"You are persuasive."

Elizabeth glared at him mildly, "Kat has told you of the enemy we faced in Atlantis?"

Aragorn remembered Kat's dark descriptions of beings that would literally suck a person's life force out of them through their hands. He shuddered at the thought of anything existing like that here in Middle Earth, "She did."

"I have fought them, Aragorn, along side Kat and others. I have been in battle, I know how to fight. I don't like it, but I know what I'm doing. Let me help… please." He looked at her for the longest time before he nodded and led Brego quietly through the camp, Elizabeth tagging along beside him.

"Just where do you two think you're off to?" Gimli startled both of them.

"Not this time," Aragorn shook his head. "This time you must stay, Gimli."

Legolas appeared with a grin and their horse, "Have you learned nothing of the stubbornness of dwarves?"

"You might as well accept it. We're going with you, laddie." Elizabeth grinned when Aragorn didn't argue with his friends. She took the hand offered to her to climb up behind Aragorn on Brego. Quickly, she settled down and they rode towards the Dimholt road. The soldiers of the camp behind them became alarmed when they saw the four of them leaving. She could hear their dismay and she looked over her shoulder to see a shocked look on Éomer's face at the sight of her behind Aragorn before he turned away.

They traveled through the night and dawn. The sun was high above them when they entered a labyrinth of sheer cliffs and jagged rock faces.

"What kind of army would linger in such a place?" Gimli asked quietly, but his voice echoed around them regardless.

"One that is cursed," Legolas answered him. "Long ago the Men of the Mountains swore an oath to the last king of Gondor, to come to his aid, to fight, but when the time came, when Gondor's need was dire, they fled… vanishing into the darkness of the mountain. And so Isildur cursed them, never to rest until they had fulfilled their pledge."

'_Sounds like a nice group of people_,' Elizabeth's inner sass reminded her of a certain John Sheppard, that thought made her smile fondly as they traveled closer to the Dark Door, the entrance to the Paths of the Dead. It got too close to travel on horseback soon. Aragorn helped Elizabeth down and they drew their swords, Legolas and Gimli doing the same with their weapons behind them and they quietly led their restless horses up the slope of the Dwimorberg.

"The very warmth of my blood seems stolen away," Gimli whispered. Elizabeth had to agree. The doorway and surrounding area was entirely too eerie, creepier than any Wraith stronghold she had been in.

Legolas stopped and stared at the entrance, reading the inscription on the frame, "_The way is shut. It was made by those who are dead, and the dead keep it. The way is shut._"

A sudden blast of wind, mingled with the cries of the dead, screamed out of the doorway, scaring the horses away. "Brego!" Aragorn shouted after his beast, sighing in frustration before he turned to look at the entrance, "I do not fear death!" He walked in and disappeared into the darkness. Elizabeth bit the inside of her cheek, hesitating a little before she followed Aragorn. She would never hear the end of it if Kat heard that she had chickened out.

Aragorn carried a torch as they picked their way through the underground realm. Bones of thousands of bodies were everywhere, skulls piled on top of others in nooks and crannies of stones. They crunched beneath Elizabeth's feet, she had learned quickly to not look down pass the greenish-grey fog that swirled thickly around their legs as they journeyed deeper into the mountain. The fog got thicker and deeper and faint shapes of ghostly hands in the form of bones reached for them and the four of them hurried along as fast as they could, stopping before huge double doors carved into the stone wall of the large open area as they looked around. A garish green light dimly illuminated the cavern and Elizabeth could see a deep dark green pit behind them. It was so deep she feared one would not find the bottom for a very long time.

"_Who enters my domain?_" A voice echoed around them. She turned to see a green ghost of a king standing in front of the steps leading to the doors.

"One who will have your allegiance," Aragorn answered.

"_The dead do not suffer the living to pass._"

"You will suffer me!"

The King of the Dead let out a chilling laugh and it distorted to lower decibels as it echoed around them. Behind them a ghost city materialized out of the sheer rock face and an army of dead appeared around them, floating closer and closer, tightening the circle until the four of them were surrounded by a sea of sickly green, slightly decayed, and silent soldiers of old. "_The way is shut… it was made by those who are dead and the dead keep it. The way is shut… now you must die._"

The king moved towards Aragorn, Legolas immediately fired an arrow, but it simply passed through the specter and fell to the ground with a clang. "I summon you to fulfill your oath," Aragorn frowned.

"_None but the King of Gondor may command me!_" Aragorn readied his sword and blocked the incoming blow from the King of the Dead. He put the renewed blade up against the king's throat. "_That line was broken!_"

"It has been re-made." Aragorn pushed the king back and the Dead looked at him with silence. "Fight for us and regain your honor… what say you?"

"Will you not listen to reason?" Elizabeth asked them when they said nothing. "The world is at war and we need your help. Aragorn _is_ Isildur's heir and he _will_ hold your oaths fulfilled should you aid us! Though you are dead, you are still men, you remember what it was like to have honor, bring honor back to yourselves."

"You waste your time, Aragorn, Lady Elizabeth. They had no honor in life, they have none now in death."

"What say you!" Aragorn shouted at the King of the Dead, who merely smiled at the ranger. The dead disappeared as their king laughed once more. The cavern began to shake and groan around them, the wall with the doors collapsed and a roaring avalanche of skulls and bones spilled from the cracks. "Out!" Aragorn yelled and they scrambled across the way to escape the mountain. Smoke and dust billowed after them when they reached the exit; Elizabeth sheathed her sword and coughed deeply. Aragorn turned to the river and collapsed to his knees in dismay when he saw the black ships of the Corsairs already arriving, leaving fires in their wake as they sacked and pillaged villages and coastal towns. They turned in shock when the King of the Dead passed through the solid rock of the mountain and stopped before the heir of Gondor's throne.

"_We fight._"


	25. Chapter 25

"What are they doing with the catapults?" Kat wondered as she and Boromir watched from the walls of the first tier. Faramir had been taken up further into the city, from what she could sense, he was still alive and she hoped he was taken to a healer. Kat herself would do it, but right now, Mordor's army was quite literally on Minas Tirith's doorstep and she was needed here.

"I don't know," Boromir replied as the catapults were released and hundreds of what looked to be stones were sent their way. "Shields up!" He commanded the men around them.

The stones rained down on them and Kat jumped back in alarm, nearly falling off the battlement when she realized they weren't stones, they were the heads of Faramir's men, "Holy Hannah!" Boromir's quick reflexes prevented her from slipping off the edge and she watched as trolls placed huge boulders into the catapults, "You have got to be shitting me."

"Apparently not. We must stand strong, Katie."

"We will," she nodded grimly. The catapults fired and boulders smashed into the city, towers and homes crumbling as there was panic and screams in the streets of the White City. "Together?"

"Together." More boulders hit the walls and towers of Minas Tirith, shaking the very stones beneath their feet.

"_Abandon your posts!_" They heard Denethor's crazed voice above them shouting from the very top of the city. "_Flee! Flee for your lives!_" This only served to confuse the Gondorian soldiers.

"What the hell is he doing?" Kat demanded.

Gandalf rode Shadowfax through the streets of the city, "Hurry men! To the wall! Defend the wall!"

"Return to your posts!" Boromir ordered. With the help of Gandalf, the soldiers of Minas Tirith prepared their own volley.

Their catapults ready, Gandalf rode up to where Kat and Boromir were standing, "Send these foul beasts into the abyss!"

At a signal from both Gandalf and Boromir, the soldiers launched pieces of rubble at the enemy, landing on the orcs below with sickening crunches. "Now that's what I'm fucking talking about!" Kat shouted, getting looks of confusion from the men around them. "Oi! You," she stopped a man from running to his post, "take a squad and get these civilians up into the higher tiers for their safety."

The man just looked at her until Boromir glared and barked at him, "You were given an order, soldier, do it! She has as much authority here as I do!"

"Yes, sir, my lady," he nodded and ran to do Kat's bidding.

"We need to get rid of those siege towers… preferably before they reach the city," Kat nodded to the numerous towers being pushed by trolls.

"The catapults are trying their best, the archers will do what they can when the towers are in range."

Kat looked up when she heard the Nazgûl scream, "Son of a bitch!" The Ringwraiths circled the city on their winged beasts, grabbing soldiers and smashing against walls or dropping them from great heights.

Gandalf hurried along the wall, "Hold them back! Do not give into fear! Stand to your posts! Fight!"

Archers on the walls fired at the siege towers as they crawled closer. "Not at the towers!" Kat ordered. "They're made of metal, aim for the trolls instead!" The trolls resembled pincushions, but it wasn't enough, the towers were close enough to open and Mordor orcs poured out of them, climbing over the walls of Minas Tirith to attack the men.

Kat beheaded one with a primal yell and kicked another over the battlement to land on the ground below with a sickening thud. She jumped back into the fray, one eye looking out for Boromir and Gandalf as they battled. "Peregrin Took! Go back to the citadel!" Gandalf's shout garnered her attention and she saw a dazed looking Pippin stumbling around the battlefield. Orcs continued to swarm over the walls and Kat cut down as many as she could, "This is no place for a hobbit!"

Kat lobbed a ball of sky blue flames at a group of orcs about to overrun a squadron of Gondorian soldiers before turning a one-eighty and running her sword through another orc. "Mir!"

"Katie?"

"What are they shouting?" She yelled, nodding her head to the army outside of the walls of the city.

"Sounds like… Grond?"

"Dear gods… Boromir!"

"What?" The color drained from his face when he saw the massive wolf's head being towed by very large animals and pushed by trolls. Fire spewed from its mouth and he saw it heading straight towards the main gate of Minas Tirith.

* * *

Elizabeth stood beside Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli as they calmly watched the black ships sail closer to their position. "You may go no further," Aragorn called out to them. "You will not enter Gondor."

The corsairs laughed heartily. "Who are you to deny us passage?" The captain demanded.

"Legolas, fire a warning shot past the boson's ear."

"Mind your aim," Gimli said in a tone that sounded similar to when John was up to no good and usually caused a multitude of problems for Elizabeth. The elf notched an arrow and fired, but instead of sailing past the man's ear, it hit him square in the chest. "Oh!" the dwarf called out in mock-surprise, "That's it. Right. We warned you, prepare to be boarded!"

This only caused the pirates to laugh harder, "Boarded? By you and whose army?"

"This army," Aragorn responded quietly. The King of the Dead led his people in a charge and they overwhelmed the corsairs' ships. It was a very odd sensation, seeing people run through you but not feeling them save for a slight chill.

* * *

Night had fallen on Minas Tirith. Where the catapults of Mordor had been launching stones at them all day, they now launched great orbs of fire that damaged the city even further. Grond was now in place and huge trolls pulled on chains to pull it back and let it swing forward to hit the great gates of Minas Tirith.

"Back to the gate! Hurry!" Gandalf called out as he rode past and the remaining soldiers followed him where they readied their weapons as Grond kept hitting the gate. "Steady. Steady." The fire that had spilled from Grond's mouth finally weakened the wood of the gates and it broke through into the White City. "You are soldiers of Gondor! No matter what comes through that gate, you will stand your ground!" The gates swung wide open, huge trolls of Mordor lumbered in, wielding large, spiked maces and hammers, smashing and throwing men around like rag dolls. "Volley! Fire!" The archers fired, but it did little difference, their enemies swarmed forward.

Kat was standing by a gate to one of the upper levels, urging soldiers and civilians alike to get through as fast as they could when she saw Pippin running full tilt in the opposite direction, "Pippin!"

He ran over to her, "I must find Gandalf, where is Gandalf?"

"Calm down, Pippin, he's coming this way," she reassured him as fireballs continued to rain down on the city. "See? Look!"

"Retreat! The city is breached!" Gandalf was telling the men. "Fall back to the second level. Get the women and children out! Get them out! Retreat!" Orcs poured into the city, butchering anyone in their path as dawn lightened the sky above them. "Fight! Fight to the last man! Fight for your lives!"

"Gandalf!" Pippin yelled as he ran to the wizard, finally attracting Gandalf's attention, Kat not far behind the hobbit. "Gandalf! Denethor has lost his mind. He's burning Faramir alive!"

Gandalf grabbed Pippin by the arm, swinging him up onto Shadowfax, behind him. He extended his arm to Kat next, "Up! Quickly!" She grabbed it and lifted herself up behind the hobbit. Shadowfax was undaunted by the extra weight and galloped towards the upper levels. They came out of a tunnel and the Witch-King landed his winged beast in front of them. The white wizard held his staff up, "Go back to the abyss! Fall into the nothingness that awaits you and your master!"

"_Do you not know death when you see it, old man?_" The wraith demanded and Pippin screamed. Kat winced at the Witch-King's voice, but it wasn't the most deafening one she had experienced. "_This is my hour!_" He drew his sword, which burst into flames. Gandalf's staff shattered into pieces, throwing the three of them from Shadowfax's back.

"Gandalf!" Pippin yelled as the beast roared in Gandalf's face. The hobbit drew his sword and ran towards it with a yell. The beast roared at him and he froze in fear.

"_You have failed! The world of men will fall_," The Witch-King of Angmar lifted his sword only to stop when a horn sounded in the distance. He turned to look and listened before looking back at Gandalf and then flying off.

Kat scrambled to her feet and looked over the wall to see thousands of horses and their riders armed to the teeth crest the hill to the northeast, their horns sounded again, and the sun rose with them. "Gandalf, look!"

"Théoden has come through," he smiled at the sight of the Rohirrim. "Come, Kathryn, we must reach Faramir before Denethor does any more damage." She nodded and climbed up behind him once more as they galloped to the Tomb of the Kings, Shadowfax rearing and kicking the doors open. "Stay this madness!"

Denethor grabbed a torch from one of the shocked attendants and stood with it in his hand, "You may triumph in the field of battle for a day, but against the power that has risen in the east, there is no victory!" He dropped the torch on to the oil-drenched timbers, lighting them instantly. Gandalf grabbed a spear off a guard at the door and galloped to the pyre, knocking Denethor off the pyre and onto the floor. Pippin and Kat jumped onto the top of the funeral pyre and rolled Faramir off onto the floor, both of them using their hands to douse any flames that might have caught on Faramir and themselves.

Denethor jumped up, "No! You will not take my son from me!" He grabbed Kat by the front of her tunic and she struggled against him. Gandalf rode up on Shadowfax and the horse kicked him away from Kat and back onto the roaring fire. "Faramir!" Kat looked down quick enough to see the man open his eyes and look at his father before Denethor caught fire and ran down the corridor out of sight.

"So passes Denethor, son of Ecthelion," Gandalf sighed, looking older than she had ever seen him before. "Kathryn, what do you need to heal Faramir?"

"We need to get him to the Houses of Healing," she replied and the remaining guards did just that, Gandalf and Pippin trailing along behind her. She directed the guards on where to place Faramir and dismissed them once they were done. Kat knelt and took Faramir's hand and went to heal him until she discovered that she was down to the dregs of her magic, so much so that should she try to heal him even with the help of the opal, she would tap into her life force. "Pippin!"

"Yes, Kat?"

"Find a bucket and fill it with cold water, quickly!" The hobbit did as he was told, returning with the bucket a few minutes later. "Okay, now pour it on top of me."

"What?"

"Just do it! Cold water amplifies my magic!" Pippin complied and Kat sucked in a breath at the temperature of the water even though she knew it had been coming. She grabbed Faramir's hand again and her eyes glowed as she set about healing him as much as she could before the shock to her magic wore off. She healed his wounds enough that he was out of the woods and got rid of most of the infection before she slumped over, her hands shaking.

"Kat?" Pippin asked.

"Kathryn?" Gandalf touched her shoulder, catching her when she started to fall backwards.

"I did as much as I could," she croaked and the wizard handed her a cup of cool water that she sipped at greedily. "He still has a slight fever, but he's out of the woods. Faramir will make a full recovery."

"Good, now you can go re-"

"I will not rest while there is fighting to be done," Kat insisted and pulled herself up onto her unsteady feet. The wizard simply nodded and they went in search of Boromir. The man greeted both of them before turning to Kat and pulling her into a tight embrace, "I'm okay. I'm okay, Mir."

He sighed and drew back, visually inspecting her as he cupped her face with his hands, "You're soaking wet and freezing… why?"

"… Magic?" she grinned sheepishly and he had to chuckle lightly. "How are the defenses?"

"You can hear them now," Boromir jerked his head in the direction of the barred door where steady booms could be heard. "My guess is a troll is trying to get in."

"So… we wait?"

"We wait," he nodded.


	26. Chapter 26

Elizabeth jumped down from the ship when the other three did, startling the orcs that waited for them. They charged at them, the Dead Army coming up behind them and overrunning the orcs, charging ahead to spill onto the battlefield. She went from orc to orc, battling them one by one, sweat slinking down her face and neck. Pausing for a breath, Elizabeth looked up to see the Dead Army making short work of the rest of Mordor's forces out on the battlefield. Legolas even managed to take out an entire Haradrim oliphaunt by himself.

"Elizabeth?" Aragorn asked, concerned.

"I'm good," she smiled and wiped away the sweat from her brow. "Good way of getting exercise, huh?"

He chuckled, definitely seeing the familial resemblance between Kat and Elizabeth. They watched as the army of dead spilled into Minas Tirith like a flood that could and would not be stopped by any mortal means, "Minas Tirith…"

"So this is the kingdom you're the heir to?"

"It is."

"Very nice," Elizabeth smiled. "But no offense to you, I'm partial to Rohan."

Aragorn grinned, "None taken, Elizabeth. We have work to do, this war is far from over yet."

"Now you're talking."

* * *

Boromir, visiting his brother, watched with a fond smile as Kat puttered around the Houses of Healing, helping out in any way she could even if her magic had yet to replenish itself. Neither of them had had any time to eat, rest, or even clean up after the battle, Kat was spending all of her free time here and Boromir had been helping with surveying the damage of the city. He could see Éomer keeping vigil by his sister's side on the far end of the room. Éowyn was resting, a nasty wound on her forearm given to her by the defeated Witch-King if the rumors were true.

"You love her, don't you?" Faramir asked him quietly, following his brother's gaze and the two brothers watched as Kat smiled gently down at the wounded soldier she was caring for.

"I do."

"I am happy for you, brother, she's a wonderful person… and she keeps you on your toes."

Boromir looked at his brother in slight shock before laughing, "That she does… that she does…"

"Your Kathryn is a master at healing as well."

"She's not a possession to be owned, but yes, I know all too well how great she is at healing."

"How so?"

The older man sighed, his grey eyes growing distant and dark with the memory; "She brought me back from the brink of death… you said you found my horn?"

"Yes."

"The day that horn was cloven in two was the day I should have died, Faramir. Many arrows pierced me and I have the scars to prove it. I was almost dead by the time she found me. Katie pleaded with her Dark God, her god over death, and brought me back."

Faramir nodded, "I see."

* * *

Kat sat next to Boromir on the marble steps that led up to the king's throne while they all met together to talk in the Great Hall of Minas Tirith. Her head rested on his shoulder, she was absolutely bone tired from aiding at the Houses of Healing after the battle. Elizabeth was standing next to Éomer while they listened. Kat noted with a slight smile that Éomer continued to wear Elizabeth's favor around his left bicep.

"Frodo has passed beyond my sight," Gandalf was telling them as he walked across the hall. "The darkness is deepening."

"If Sauron had the Ring we would know it," Aragorn attempted to reassure his friend.

"It's only a matter of time. He has suffered a defeat, yes, but behind the walls of Mordor our enemy is regrouping."

"Let him stay there!" Gimli piped up from where he sat on the steward's throne, smoking a pipe, "Let him rot! Why should we care?"

"Because ten thousand orcs now stand between Frodo and Mount Doom," Gandalf let the dwarf ponder his words. "I've sent him to his death."

"No," Aragorn turned to him. "There is still hope for Frodo. He needs time and safe passage across the plains of Gorgoroth. We can give him that."

"How?" Boromir asked.

"Draw out Sauron's armies. Empty his lands. Then we gather our full strength and march on the Black Gate."

"That would do it," Kat shrugged in agreement as Gimli choked on his pipe.

"We cannot achieve victory through strength of arms," Éomer stated, Elizabeth nodding beside him.

"Not for ourselves, but we can give Frodo his chance if we keep Sauron's eye fixed upon us."

"Keep him blind to all else that moves," Kat piped up and Aragorn nodded.

"A diversion," Legolas smiled.

"Certainty of death, small chance of success… what are we waiting for?" Gimli asked and all of them chuckled.

"Sauron will suspect a trap," Gandalf cautioned. "He will not take the bait."

"Oh, I think he will."

* * *

Kat groaned under the blankets when she heard someone knocking at the door shortly before dawn days after the Siege of Minas Tirith, "Go away…" With a huff, she pushed away the blankets and yanked the door open when the knocking didn't cease. "What! Oh…" Kat blinked when she saw that it was Aragorn. "Come in."

"Sorry to disturb you," He entered far enough into the room so that she could close the door.

Kat rolled her eyes behind his back and pushed her friend further into the room so she could sit, she still wanted to get at least some sleep before something else happened. "I'm here to help, Aragorn, what is it?"

Aragorn sighed while Kat flopped back across her bed. He grinned when she reached out and pulled him down to lie next to her, it was something she used to do in Rivendell with both him and Arwen. At her prodding, Aragorn told her about his stunt with the Palantír and what it showed him, "She's not dead, is she, Kat?"

"No she's not and no I'm not telling you this just to ease your mind."

"Are you sure?"

"Very sure, I would feel it, if it were so," she looked out the window and sighed, "looks like I'm not getting back to sleep… was that all you wanted to know?"

"I'm going to do it, Kat. I'm going to summon our entire strength and march on Mordor to help Frodo."

"A bold move."

"We need to have hope that it will buy him time to destroy the Ring."

"I do and those who follow you do as well. We're with you, Aragorn, to the end no matter what."

He pressed a kiss to the top of Kat's sleep-mussed hair, "Thank you, Kat."

"It's what I'm here for."


	27. Chapter 27

Kat could feel Pippin tighten his arms around her waist as they rode out of Minas Tirith at the head of a combined army of Gondorian and Rohirrim soldiers. Looking over to her left, Kat smiled at the sight of Elizabeth riding along side her with Merry sitting behind the woman. Aragorn rode ahead of them, wearing the symbol of his birthright, the crowned White Tree and Seven Stars of Gondor. Boromir rode beside him, in his Gondorian armor that shone brightly in the sunlight. She was proud of both of them, knowing how far the brothers in arms had journeyed to arrive at leading an army to take down the worst evil Middle Earth had seen.

"Everything alright, Kat?" Elizabeth asked her quietly. Kat thought the woman looked like Joan of Arc with her own set of Rohirrim armor and long brown hair tightly braided down her back.

"Fine," Kat smiled back, "Just reminiscing."

"Careful, it will get you into trouble."

"No it won't."

"Oh really… tell that to Teyla when she had to negotiate our way back to the gate after your drunken reminiscing got us into trouble."

"That was one time!" Kat complained while Merry and Pippin laughed behind them. "I'm not as bad as John or Jack, c'mon."

"You're definitely up there, Kat. You learned it from them, I know you did."

"Because of me, half the crap John was going to do never happened."

Elizabeth laughed richly, "Right… and so John shooting Rodney," ("It was in the leg!" Kat protested), "and pushing him off a balcony to test Ancient technology was…"

"Letting the guys have some fun!"

"Oh, _that's_ what you call it."

Kat rolled her eyes even as the hobbits continued to chortle.

* * *

"Katie?" Boromir called out once he reached the tent she was sharing with Elizabeth. "Katie?"

Elizabeth stepped out of the tent, "Something you need, Boromir?"

"I was looking for Katie."

"She went out for a walk… something about a smell?" The woman shrugged. "She did look a little green, come to think of it."

"Thank you, Elizabeth," he smiled and walked quickly in the direction she had pointed in. He had only been walking in the trees near their camp for a few minutes when he saw the green-grey of Kat's cloak. "Katie?" A dry heave was his answer. Boromir rounded the tree and saw Kat leaning up against it, her face entirely too pale and her limbs shaking fiercely. "What's wrong?"

"Smell," she whispered hoarsely. "Too much… oh gods." He rubbed a soothing hand between her shoulder blades as she heaved again. She whimpered and he wrapped his arm around her waist, encouraging her to lean her weight against him. "I'm sorry…"

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Katie. What about the smell made you feel this sick? Do you think you caught something?"

Kat shrugged and wiped her mouth, nodding in thanks when Boromir offered his water. She took a small sip, swished it around in her mouth and then spit it out before taking a cleansing sip, "I don't know… and I don't like it. It just… sort of came all of a sudden. It's possibly a reaction to orc blood, I really don't know."

"You do like mauling the things," he chuckled lightly. "Maybe Gandalf can help?"

"And taste one of his vile concoctions? No thank you," she vehemently shook her head, choosing instead to burrow deeper into Boromir's warmth. "Gods… I'm just tired…"

"I can take you back to your tent so you can lay down, is that alright?"

"Sounds perfect."

* * *

"Elizabeth," Éomer calmly stating her name made her pause in the brushing of her horse. "Might we talk?"

"Of course, Éomer." She finished brushing her horse and led the man to the tent she shared with Kat. Boromir had stopped by earlier to tell her that Kat was resting in his tent, apparently some scent near their tent was making the woman feel sick. Elizabeth was perfectly fine with this; wanting Kat to feel better and knowing that Boromir could comfort her more than Elizabeth ever could at this point. "What is it?"

The man fidgeted as he stood, having forgone the offered seat, while Elizabeth sat down, "I, uh, wanted to talk."

"I gathered that," she smiled and sighed when Éomer looked down at his feet instead of saying whatever it was he was going to say. "You're still wearing my favor," she stated, trying to make the conversation easier for him.

"I am," he nodded and smiled. "It's brought me great luck so far."

"Good, I'm glad… what exactly do you want to talk about, Éomer?" she asked quietly.

The warrior rubbed his beard with a weary hand and sighed, "I… I don't really know, Elizabeth…"

"What comes to mind?"

"You. You come to mind. When I was banished from Rohan, I was angry, yes, but all I could think of was how you could potentially suffer at the hands of Gríma or Saruman because you are not the type to sit idly by and just let someone take over without going down with a fight. I was worried about you when Gandalf told me of Helm's Deep, all I could think about was you in those caves and what would happen if the Uruk-hai broke through. And then…" Éomer broke off in frustration and Elizabeth stood, putting a hand on his left forearm. He took a deep breath and continued. "And then, you left with Aragorn to the Dimholt road the night before we left for Minas Tirith and I wondered if I would ever see you again… that and I was shocked that you would leave with him. I just… I… I worry about you, Elizabeth. It's not that I don't think you're capable of taking care of yourself… it's just that I… have come to care about you… quite a bit in the years that I've known you."

She smiled and reached up with her left hand to gently cup his right cheek, forcing his worried brown eyes to look into her shining green ones, "Éomer…"

"I shouldn't have said anything, I apologize."

He moved to exit the tent, but Elizabeth tightened her grip on his forearm, keeping him in place, "You have nothing to apologize for. It just… kind of shocked me, that's all." Her hand returned to his cheek and her stomach flip-flopped when he covered it with his own and he leaned into her hand, "I was worried about you too, Éomer, when you were banished… that's why I gave you my favor," she fingered the stained and faded fabric tied around his left bicep. "I wanted you to have it for luck and… for you to have something to remember me by. I… I guess I kind of gave you a piece of me to carry with you and hopefully carry you through battle. I would never go down without a fight. I would never stop fighting until I got to see you one last time, Éomer, I want you to know that. Leaving with Aragorn was a tough decision to make, but it was one that I needed to do out of a sense of duty for Middle Earth… It's become my home and I needed to have a part in saving it as much as you have… I've come to care about you a lot in the years we've known each other too, Éomer."

Éomer snaked his arms around Elizabeth's waist and pulled her closer. She leaned up onto her toes and gently pressed her lips to his, dropping her hand from his cheek to wrap her arms around Éomer's neck as he deepened the kiss. Elizabeth's entire body warmed and her fingers dug instinctively into his shoulders as the kiss tapered off into several smaller ones until their lips were barely touching, "Wow," was all she could say and both of them grinned.

"We've wasted so much time," he whispered into her hair, pulling her into a tight embrace.

She buried her face into the crook of his neck, "We have, but that's the past, Éomer. We have a future ahead of us."

"Not if we do not survive the attack on Mordor."

Elizabeth silenced any more worries he might have had with a gentle kiss, "We will. We've gotten this far, Éomer, we'll get through this in the end."

He nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead, "I should go, both of us need our rest for the last leg of the journey to Mordor in the morning."

"Stay please? Nothing except sleeping, I promise… I… would just like to have you near now that we've opened up about our feelings for each other."

"I can do that, just let me go check on my men," Éomer gave her a brief kiss and swept from her tent, both of them smiling more than they had earlier in the evening.


	28. Chapter 28

"Where are they?" Kat heard Pippin ask as they waited outside the enormous Black Gates of Mordor with the West Army behind them.

"I don't know, Pippin," she answered and Aragorn looked over at them. He nudged Brego and rode forward. Gandalf, Legolas, Gimli, Éomer, Boromir, Elizabeth, Kat, and the hobbits followed him alongside a Gondorian standard bearer.

"Let the Lord of the Black Land come forth!" Aragorn shouted at the gate, "Let justice be done upon him!"

They watched as the gates groaned and creaked open wide enough for a single horse and rider to pass through. He was truly gruesome looking, everything covered save for his mouth, which was full of ghastly-yellowed teeth and the split skin of his lips barely covered them. "My master, Sauron the Great, bids thee welcome," the Mouth of Sauron stated. Kat bit down on her lip to hide her amusement at the utter look of disgust on Aragorn's face next to her. "Is there any in this rout with authority to treat with me?"

"We do not come to treat with Sauron, faithless and accursed," Gandalf spat out. "Tell your master this: the armies of Mordor must disband. He is to depart these lands, never to return!"

Kat could hear the faint whisperings of the Black Speech while Gandalf spoke; they got stronger as the Mouth laughed, "Aha! Old Greybeard! I have a token I was bidden to show thee." He held up Frodo's mithril shirt and Kat tensed in her saddle.

"Frodo!" Pippin whispered and she shushed him while the Mouth of Sauron threw the shirt at Gandalf. "Frodo!"

"Silence!" Gandalf called out even as Kat shushed Pippin.

"No!" Merry piped up from behind Elizabeth.

"Silence!"

"The halfling was dear to thee I see," the Mouth grinned at their despair. "Know that he suffered greatly at the hands of his host. Who would've thought one so small could endure so much pain? And he did, Gandalf, he did." Kat swallowed her tears, even as they welled up in her eyes. Frodo couldn't be gone, she would've known. Aragorn moved forward on his horse, directing the Mouth's attention onto him. "And who is this… Isildur's heir? It takes more to make a king than a broken elvish blade."

With a yell, Aragorn unsheathed his sword and beheaded the Mouth of Sauron in one swift movement before turning to them.

"I guess that concludes negotiations," Gimli deadpanned.

"I do not believe it. I will not!" He told them. The gate opened further behind Aragorn as he looked over his shoulder. Thousands of orcs were behind it. "Pull back! Pull back!"

"Well, shit," Kat quickly turned her horse around and rode back with the others to the West Army, ready to make a stand against Mordor and its armies. The soldiers looked uncertain as they spied the orcs behind their group.

"Hold your ground! Hold your ground!" Aragorn shouted as he rode across the front of the army while addressing them. "Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break _all_ bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day! An hour of wolves and shattered shields when the age of men comes crashing down, _but it is not this day!_ This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good earth," Kat looked over at Boromir and he held her gaze while Aragorn finished. "I bid you stand! _Men of the West!_"

They sent away their horses and stood watching as the armies of Mordor surrounded theirs. Kat, her sword unsheathed and ready to be used, felt Boromir slip his hand into hers. She turned her head to look at him and smiled, "Together?"

"Together," he replied and squeezed her hand tightly before dropping it and readying his own sword.

Aragorn moved forward, seemingly mesmerized, his sword dropping to the side. He turned to look at Gandalf and the wizard held up Frodo's mithril shirt for him to see. Aragorn smiled, "For Frodo." He raised his sword and charged forward towards the army, Pippin and Merry not far behind. The two armies collided in a fearsome crash; the final stand for Middle Earth had begun.

* * *

Kat and Elizabeth fought orc after orc together. Both of their faces were splattered with black blood, Elizabeth's with her own blood from a gash across her right cheek and across the bridge of her nose. Kat turned around to fight another orc and the club to her face caught her off guard. She dodged so that the blow only glanced off her jaw, but it still had enough force behind it to send her reeling. Elizabeth stepped in front of her and beheaded the orc before helping her friend up off the ground, "Okay?"

"Fine!" Kat shouted back and stabbed an orc behind Elizabeth that had been creeping up on them. "Thanks!"

"No problem!" They fought side by side, even as they heard the Nazgûl scream above them. Kat kept her head down as the fell beasts flew overhead. She heard another kind of screech and both she and Elizabeth looked up to see gigantic eagles swoop in and battle the winged wraiths with piercing cries. "Kat, look!"

Kat whipped around to see what Elizabeth was pointing at. In the distance, the Great Eye of Sauron flared. It looked this way and that in a desperate manner. It was screeching and groaning with a terrible sound, the tower of Barad-dûr began to collapse and they watched as it crumpled to the ground. The Eye of Sauron exploded, sending a huge shockwave outwards. The black gate collapsed, the very ground beneath them and the orcs giving way. Everything that was of Mordor was destroyed before their very eyes and they cheered. Mount Doom erupted in the distance, shocking all of them, it was most likely that Frodo and Sam were in that volcano. Were they alive?

Kat felt hands grip her upper arms and turn her around. She was seized in a fierce embrace and for the longest time all she could see was this person's tunic that was over their armor. The soft "Katie" reached her ears and she wrapped her arms around Boromir's back, her hands clutching at the back of his tunic while she cried. Tears of joy, of sadness, of regret, of relief… she had no label for these tears as they spilled out of her eyes and soaked Boromir's tunic while she sobbed into his shoulder. It was over… it was all over. The quest that had started in Rivendell last year was finally complete.

Now, it was time to rebuild.


	29. Chapter 29

Boromir watched Kat from the doorway while she and Elizabeth were conversing in the strange language that only the two of them used. "Katie," he called to her, startling the two women out of their conversation.

"Mir? What is it? Do the Houses need me again?" Kat asked as she stood and walked over to him, her dark blue dress swirling around her ankles and bare feet.

Boromir had to smile at the sight of her feet, it seemed Kat wasn't overly fond of shoes, "No, no, the Houses are fine… Frodo's going to wake soon and Gandalf sent me to find you."

She nodded and said something to Elizabeth in their language over her shoulder. The woman replied and shooed them from the room with a smile. "Gandalf said he's waking?"

"Soon was what he told me," Boromir smiled as Kat entwined their fingers while they hurried through the halls of Minas Tirith to reach Frodo's room.

The rest of the Fellowship was waiting by the door when they arrived. Kat slipped her hand from his and greeted Aragorn with a sisterly kiss on the cheek before being surrounded by the three other hobbits. He watched as she listened to their stories and ruffled Sam's strawberry blonde curls with a smile. They heard Gandalf's deep laughter drift out of the room, soon joined by Frodo's higher pitched peals and Merry and Pippin dashed into the room before anyone else could react. Gimli went next, the Legolas, then Aragorn, and Boromir was about to enter when he turned to see Kat still standing next to Sam, who looked incredibly nervous. "Katie?"

"Go ahead, Mir," she smiled and shooed him away while kneeling in front of the quiet hobbit. "What is it, Sam?"

"D'you think he's back… back to normal?" Sam's worried filled hazel eyes met hers. "Back the way he was?"

Kat smoothed down some of the hobbit's curls, "Frodo will never truly be as he was before the Ring came into his possession, Sam, but its influence is gone. The weight of it is gone and now he can begin to heal. Not just physically, but here," she pointed to Sam's head, "and here," and then to his heart. "Now is the time that we are there for him. This is when it matters most."

"Okay," Sam nodded and smiled at her before hugging Kat around her neck. She was startled, but returned the embrace all the same before standing and gently guiding him into the room by his shoulders. Frodo, surrounded by the Fellowship, looked up when he saw them enter and he smiled widely at Sam, who returned the smile gratefully.

* * *

"You're saying Aragorn ordered you to take some time off?" Kat asked as they rode through the city. She tightened her arms around his waist while she smiled and nodded to the citizens of Minas Tirith as they rode past.

"That's what he told me," Boromir shrugged. "He said that both of us have been working too hard and we should go out and relax."

She snorted, "He should take his own advice."

Boromir laughed, "He should, that he should…"

"So, where are we going, then?"

"A place I've been meaning to show you," Kat could hear the smile in Boromir's voice and she nuzzled into the back of his neck, gently pressing a kiss there. "It was my escape in better times."

"Well now you can 'escape' there more often," she smiled and he brought her hand up to kiss her knuckles.

"Escape with you in tow, no doubt."

"Things are going to get crazy around here… maybe we should take frequent breaks."

"Uh-huh, sure," Boromir laughed and kissed Kat's knuckles once more before dropping her hand to steady Niand as they trotted through the main gates of Minas Tirith.

"What, you like my breaks!"

"I do, you know I do." She made a disbelieving noise as they continued to ride across the Pelennor Fields. They had cleaned up the battlefield, but Kat could still see the scars and odd patches of dried blood on the trampled grass. "You should see these fields during summer."

"Are they beautiful?"

"Beautiful and green. Not as lush a grass as Rivendell or Lothlórien, but it smells sweet and pure, especially after a summer rain."

"I look forward to learning all about Minas Tirith and Gondor, especially with you as my teacher."

"Flatterer." Boromir grinned when he heard Kat giggling behind him. The spring sun was exceptionally warm today, the sky clear and blue overhead. It was as though nature was celebrating the fact that Sauron was gone from this world. He nudged Niand to pick up the pace a bit, wanting to get to his hideaway with enough time for both of them to relax. He guided Niand into a grove of trees near the river and smiled when they entered a clearing that had a small tributary from the river running through it, "Here we are."

Kat gasped when she looked around the clearing. The tributary babbled over smooth rocks, the water clear as glass, either shore covered in plush grass that was beginning to grow back after winter. The trees around them hid the oasis from prying eyes as well as created a sound bubble that made it seem like they were the only two people in existence, "It's beautiful, Mir."

"That it is," he replied, looking at her and she blushed. Boromir dropped down from the saddle and lifted her down gently, his hand smoothing down her dress. "You're wearing more of these nowadays."

Kat chuckled, "Astute observing, Mir. According to Aragorn, and some of the 'ladies'," she made air quotes around 'ladies' with her fingers, "of his fledgling court, I am a lady of status since Aragorn thinks of me as his sister and therefore should dress like it."

"Since when do you listen to how people tell you how to act or dress?"

"They may insist on the dresses, but they'll have no say in what said dresses look like or what goes on my feet."

Boromir chuckled when he saw Kat's bare toes wriggling in the grass underneath the hem of her dress, "That's the Katie I know and love."

"Damn straight," she replied with a grin as he kissed her.

"I brought food," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"A picnic? I think you're spoiling me," Kat teased as Boromir retrieved the food from the saddlebags. When he opened one of the parcels she practically squealed, "Apple turnover? Now I _know_ you're spoiling me!"

He grinned, "You deserve it, after all you've been through."

She leaned up and kissed him gently, "We deserve it after all we've been through… don't sell yourself short, Mir. You deserve some spoiling too."

"I get enough by seeing you happy."

Kat grinned, "You are such a sap."

"Only for you."

"Charmer." Boromir laughed and guided her over towards the river where they sat and enjoyed their packed lunch, conversation flowing easy between them as well as laughter.

Kat enjoyed her apple turnover very much and Boromir enjoyed the faint taste of it through her frequent kisses. She finished the dessert and got up to wash her hands and face (not without sharing another kiss with him). Boromir stood and watched her. The sunlight hit her hair, painting it a beautiful golden brown and making her rosy skin glow. Her cheeks were flushed and her sapphire blue eyes sparkled when she turned to him, "Enjoying the view, Mir?" She teased with a smile.

"I am," he replied, taking her hands in his and gently kissing her, her lips cool from the water, before drawing back to look at her, "Katie… I have something I want to say to you."

"Yeah, sure," she nodded, "go ahead."

"We've barely known each other for a year," Boromir started, caressing her knuckles with his thumbs. "But I love you more deeply than I have anyone ever before. It… well, like you said in Rohan, it's scary, but I am so glad to have you by my side through all of it. You… enchanted me when I first met you, Katie. You were unlike any woman I had ever met and I am so incredibly grateful you chose me to love. I love you, Katie, and I want to continue loving you. I want to have you by me in the years to come, I want…" he paused to think and saw the tears build up in her eyes, she knew what was coming and gently squeezed his hands to give him a push to continue. "I want to call you my wife," Kat grinned and let out a watery giggle, "I want to have a family with you, if that is what you wish as well. So, Kathryn Athena Lattimer, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

"Yes," Kat nodded.

"Yes?"

"_Yes_, you silly man!" She grinned, wiping away her happy tears before he leaned in and kissed her deeply. Kat threw her arms around his neck and laughed in surprise when he whirled her around. She kissed him again as he put her back down on the ground, "I love you, Mir."

"I love you too, Katie," Boromir reached into his pocket and pulled out a delicate copper bracelet, a thick circle charm was held by the chain. "When I asked Elizabeth for advice on how to propose, she told me of your people's custom to bestow a ring to one's love for them to wear on their left ring finger when you ask. It is not custom here to do so, but I wanted to give you this to wear. The circle shows a never ending bond and love that I hope to have with you for years to come."

"Oh, Mir…" Kat gasped as he fastened it on her left wrist, "It's beautiful…"

"Like you."

She chuckled and shook her head in slight exasperation before reaching up to cup his face in her hands and kissed him deeply, "Flatterer."


	30. Chapter 30

The day of Aragorn's coronation had finally arrived. The first of May in the year three thousand and nineteen dawned clear and bright. The White Tree had bloomed spectacularly after the war and in the onset of spring. The land of Middle Earth was renewed and reborn.

Aragorn stood on the steps leading to the main hall of the citadel, clad in full ceremonial armor and clothing befitting his status as heir to the throne of Gondor. Gandalf lifted the crown high into the air, showing it to the crowds gathered in the courtyard, before placing it on Aragorn's head. It felt heavy on his brow, but not as heavy as he thought it would.

"Now come the days of the king…" Gandalf called out and smiled at Aragorn before continuing softer, "May they be blessed."

He moved back and Aragorn walked up the steps, taking a deep breath before turning towards the people, who clapped and cheered. "This day does not belong to one man, but to all," Aragorn stated, looking around at all the faces in the crowd, "Let us rebuild this world, one that we may share in the days of peace." The people cheered and clapped again, he saw Gimli look up in wonder as the white petals of the Tree swirled in the air. Aragorn took another deep breath and began to sing the song of Elendil, "_Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien. Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn' Ambar-metta!_"

He walked down towards the people, nodding as he went. Faramir and Éowyn bowed to him, Kat and Boromir doing the same next to them. Kat looked splendid in her sky blue dress and midnight blue mantle, matching Boromir's cloak, and her long curls styled around the gold and sapphire circlet Aragorn had made for her as befitting her status for one of the highest ladies of the court as well being named his sister.

Éomer, now King of Rohan, stepped closer out of the crowd and bowed, Elizabeth at his side in a copper dress and dark green cloak with matching copper and emerald circlet. He could feel the four fall in behind him as he walked forward to meet Legolas and the elves. Aragorn put a hand on Legolas' shoulder, "_Hannon le_." He spotted the healed Haldir to the side and nodded to him, the elf nodded back with a smile. Legolas gestured for Aragorn to look behind him.

A light green banner with a white tree was all he saw at first and then the familiar sight of long black hair and star blue eyes peered out from behind it. It was Arwen. Her father whispered to her and she moved forward towards Aragorn. He stepped forward and took the banner from her hands. Arwen had tears in her eyes and she lowered her head in respect. He frowned and gently lifted her chin with his hand. She smiled at him and he smiled back before moving forward and passionately kissing her, lifting her up and twirling her around as he did.

Aragorn set her down gently and they shared another tender kiss. Arwen threw her arms around him in glee as she laughed, happy to be reunited with him. He smiled when she greeted Kat with a tight hug, Kat kissing her on the cheek with a grin. Aragorn held out his hand and Arwen gladly accepted it, smiling at the crowds as they navigated their way to the four hobbits. All of them bowed and Aragorn shook his head, "My friends… you bow to no one."

He knelt in front of them, wanting to express his immense gratitude to these four brave hobbits and this was the only way he could think of to do so.

* * *

Elizabeth returned from getting a breakfast for her and Kat to see that the sleeping woman she had left was awake and out on the balcony of Elizabeth's guest room, "Kat?"

"I'm fine, Elizabeth," Kat responded with a smile over her shoulder, warmed by her friend's concern over her. Earlier in the week, Kat had felt sick, throwing up practically everything she ate and was forced to stay in bed with a slight fever as she got dizzy whenever she moved, luckily it only seemed like a twenty-four hour bug and she recovered soon enough to thoroughly enjoy her wedding. "Enjoying the sunrise."

"Feeling better?"

"Definitely," Kat replied as Elizabeth handed her a mug of hot tea. They sipped from their mugs as they watched the sun rise over Minas Tirith, the city's white stone buildings glimmering in the early morning sunlight.

"Ready for your wedding?"

"Hell no," Kat snorted into her tea. "I'm ready for the big ceremony to be over… I never wanted a big wedding, hell I never thought I'd get married."

"Take a deep breath, get through this and then you and Boromir can have some peace," Elizabeth smiled, wrapping an arm around Kat's shoulders, feeling the woman wrap an arm around her waist. "Then it's back to business as usual for all of you."

"Are you going back to Rohan after the wedding?"

"My place is there," Elizabeth nodded. "Éomer needs a lady of the Golden Hall and since Éowyn is staying here…"

"He picked a great woman to be by his side," Kat smiled.

"Thank you, Kat, now it's time to get you ready for your big day."

"Ugh," Kat rolled her eyes and groaned, "don't remind me that it's big, please. I just wanted a simple ceremony of friends, more of a ceremonial gesture, to get married to Boromir, not this big… circus."

"He's a hero of Gondor and the Lord Steward of the kingdom and you're the king's sister, you had to see this coming."

"I was hoping that I could get away with something small," the woman whined.

"Not today," Elizabeth smiled and directed Kat over to her vanity and began brushing the woman's hair.

* * *

It really had been a wonderful ceremony. Kat looked splendid in the white and blue dress with her midnight blue mantle, her hair braided and styled around her circlet by Elizabeth. Boromir's armor gleamed in the sunlight as the two of them stood on the steps in front of the citadel, Aragorn presiding over the ceremony, happy to join the woman and man he thought of as his sister and brother in matrimony. Their king tried to remain serious, but his stoic king mask kept slipping and Aragorn was seen grinning like an idiot more often than not while he guided Boromir and Kat through the ceremony. Elizabeth could see Arwen off to the side roll her eyes endearingly with a smile at Aragorn's excitement.

Cheering rang out in the pavilion as Boromir and Kat shared a kiss and were pronounced man and wife by their monarch. Women and children tossed flower petals into the air as the pair greeted their guests one by one, happy to talk to even the most common of folk. Elizabeth seized Kat in a tight embrace, "I'm so happy for you, Kat."

"Thank you, Liz," the woman replied back with a grin. "Are you and Éomer staying for the feast?"

"Of course."

"Just checking."

"We'll see you inside," Elizabeth smiled and looped her arm with Éomer's, leading the king into the main hall where the wedding feast was prepared.

Kat turned to Boromir and her husband wrapped an arm around her waist, "Happy, Mir?"

"Definitely happy," he replied with a smile and loving kiss. "How do you feel, Lady Steward Húrin?"

"Happy," she grinned and leaned up to kiss him gently. "Very happy."

"To our future," Boromir toasted.

"To our future."

* * *

_and that's a wrap on Chase the Morning. I seriously hope you all enjoyed it!_

_Keep a look out for the sequel: Yield to Nothing as well as a possible backstory for dear Kat._

_-Dee_


End file.
